Crimson Angel
by Wolfsraingirl148
Summary: A long peace shatters. Old enemies resurface. Will the world be able to stop the Rosenkreuz in time? Or will it be destroyed in a sea of flames? AN: Undergoing Revision, Ch. 1&2 Revised
1. Lost Peace

**Author's Note: **Yes! I've finally posted my first story on ! Hooray! This idea has been bugging me for awhile now, so I finally decided to write it. At first, I just had it posted on my Gaia profile. But my friends convinced me that it was good enough to put on here. We shall see. Now, I best warn you guys now, it's an after fic. I've heard that a lot of people don't like them, but I figured I'd at least give it a shot. Once again, we shall see. Anyway, as much as I wish, I don't own Trinity Blood. The only things I own are my Ocs.

-- Break in Time

**Bold **Shouting or Emphasized Words

_Italics _Thoughts

* * *

"Your Majesty, I've brought you the documents you requested," announced one of the Queen's secretaries.

Queen Esther looked up from her desk and the papers she was signing. "Ah, thank you," she said, smiling, "You've saved me a lot of time." Even after her many years of ruling Albion, she still had trouble finding papers and such within the many rooms of her palace.

As the secretary was about to head for the door, she turned back to Esther with an exasperated look on her face. "Oh yes, I almost forgot, it would seem that Princess Lilith has skipped her evening classes again. Her tutor wanted to know if you've seen her anywhere."

Esther sighed. Her daughter, Lilith, had a terrible habit of skipping her afternoon classes. "Have you tried looking in the pantry or in the garden?"

"Yes, we've looked in all the usual places. We can't find her anywhere."

"Hmm, I can't think of where else she might be," replied Esther.

The secretary placed her hands on her hips. "I wish she wouldn't keep doing this. Why can't she be more responsible, like her brother Vincent?"

"Yes, she can be a bit of a handful, but it's just how she is," Esther laughed.

"Well, I suppose so. But if she doesn't straighten up soon, she'll never be queen," the secretary informed her as she exited the room, "Good day, Your Majesty."

Esther sighed again and returned to her work.

"Lilith is causing trouble again, I see?"

Esther glanced up from her paperwork at the tall, silver haired man that had walked into the room. He was young; maybe between the ages of 20 to 22 years old. He was dressed fairly causally for someone who lived in the palace; he had black slacks and a white shirt. Much to the queen's displeasure, he was wearing one of the tacky ties their daughter kept buying him for Christmas loosely around his neck.

Esther rubbed her temples. It was only noon and she could already feel the beginnings of a headache. "Yes, it would seem that she's skipped her classes again, **and** she's gone missing."

"Hehehe, she does seem to love giving the palace guards something to do in the afternoons."

"Abel," Esther scolded as she stood up from her desk, smoothing her ornate dress with angry, sweeping hand motions, "You can't keep encouraging her behavior!"

"Encouraging? What could you possibly mean, my dear?" Abel asked, feigning shock.

She jabbed her index finger towards her husband. "You know **full well **what I'm talking about Abel. Joking about it, never punishing her when she does it, and worst of all, you're actually suggesting places to hide to her!"

Abel chuckled as he headed for the door. "Yes, I suppose I have been a little lenient with her." He bowed deeply, his silvery hair almost touching the floor. "Please, allow me to make up for my behavior by finding her."

"Good luck," the queen said, returning to her papers, "No one has been able to locate her yet. I doubt finding her will be as simple a task as you make it out to be."

"Oh, I think I might have a good idea of where she might be."

"Why's that?"

"Because I just told her about it last week."

Abel exited the room, just as Esther threw her pen at him.

--

Lilith sat uncomfortably in a dim broom closet somewhere deep inside the palace. Her knees were drawn close to her body, crushing her nose in the process. In her hands she had a heavily worn romance novel. She was thankful that she had decided to wear gaucho pants and a blouse that day instead of one of the formal dresses the maids and Virgil always wanted her to wear. It would have been impossible to use her new hiding spot if she had.

"_It's unpleasant, but at least it's better than sitting in a stuffy room listening to somebody tell me why a salad fork and a regular fork are __**drastically**__ different_," Lilith thought to herself, turning a page in her book.

She didn't even understand why she needed to take those lessons. All they were good for was putting her to sleep. She'd much rather spend her time reading novels or going on a trip to Venice, or New Barcelona.

Lilith gasped softly when she heard soft footsteps coming down the hall. They paused in front of the door for a few moments, as if the person were waiting for something, then the door knob began to move.

"Shoot, I've been found!" Lilith whispered to herself, "They're really gonna let me have it this time!"

The door creaked in protest as it opened. "You know, it wouldn't kill you to give the poor guards a break every once and awhile."

Lilith raised her head slowly, then sighed in relief. "Oh, it's just you Dad. I thought for sure the guards or maybe Virgil had finally found my hiding place." She placed a bookmark in her novel and set it beside her. "You need something?" she asked pleasantly.

"Yes," Abel said softly as he closed the door, "I need to talk to you for a minute."

Lilith looked sheepishly at her father. "Uh oh, did I do something wrong Dad?"

"Well, yes and no I suppose. Just uh…let me see if I can squeeze myself in here," Abel said as he tried to fit himself into the tiny closet.

Lilith giggled as she scooted over. Seeing her father, who was taller than 6 feet, trying to fit into a closet so tiny that Lilith, who was around 5' 9", couldn't really fit into was extremely comedic.

"Mmm, cozy," Abel remarked. He was now in the same position as Lilith, but his knees were hitting the top of his head rather than his nose or chest. "Now then, I'm sure you probably have a good idea of what I want to talk to you about," he said, his face stern.

"Me skipping classes, right?" Lilith asked, her eyes full of shame.

He nodded. "Yes. Look, I know how much you hate them, but you can't keep doing this."

Lilith huffed. "Yeah I know…but I don't even know why I have to take them. It's not like I'll be the one ruling Albion; Vincent will."

"True, but if anything were to happen to us, you'd be next in line. If you ended up being queen and didn't know how to be one, the country would be thrown into turmoil." Abel shrugged his shoulders. "Its necessary."

Lilith sighed. Her father was right. It was always the duty of any child conceived after the first born to learn how to run a kingdom, regardless of whether they were actually going to rule it or not. This was to prevent the destruction of Albion, should anything happen the current heir, such as when her great-grandmother had been in power.

"_I wish I wasn't the child of a queen_," she thought, wrapping her arms around her legs. Her shoulders sagged in defeat. "Okay, I'll be good and go back to my classes."

Her father smiled. "Good. Now then, can we **please** get out of this tiny closet? I think I can feel my back starting to break!" Abel whined with a pathetic, yet cute, look on his face.

"Sure, Dad," she said, laughing.

They managed to get themselves out of the cramped closet, but not before Abel became stuck numerous times. Finally, they emerged and began to walk back to Lilith's classes.

"Oh, and remember, your mother and I have a meeting with the police today to discuss some supposed terrorist threats in the east, so we'll be late for dinner."

"Meeting?" Lilith murmured to herself, scratching her head. "Now why do I feel like that reminds me of something…" She froze. Her eyes widened in shock. A small cry escaped her lips.

Abel looked worriedly at her daughter. "Umm, are you alright Lilith? Is something the matter?"

Lilith mumbled something under her breath. Her wide, ice blue eyes were fixed on some spot in the distance.

He cupped a hand to his ear. "I didn't hear you, what did you say?"

She turned to him and whispered, "I forgot."

Abel cocked his head to the side. "Forgot what?"

"I forgot that I'd promised to come see Jill today!" the girl shouted, "She told me that the church was letting her have the day off as her birthday present! Oh my gosh! Did I even remember to pick up her birthday present!? **She's gonna kill me!**"

Abel chuckled and turned away from his daughter. "Well, I suppose I could just **accidentally** have my back turned while you sneak outside and once again skip your classes so that you can go see your friend for her birthday..."

Lilith gasped in delight. "Really!? You'd let me do that? Thank you so much Dad!" She hugged her father and kissed him on the cheek. "I promise that I'll sit through all those boring classes tomorrow!"

"Alright, alright, just get going," Abel said with a smirk, "If you don't leave soon, Virgil or one of the guards will find us and your mother will have me hanged."

"'Kay, see you later Dad!" She called as she ran out of the palace.

"Have fun, and try not to stay out too late!" Abel called back.

Someone sighed deeply from behind Abel. "You know, she really will have you hanged if you keep this up."

The man jumped in surprise, then turned in the direction of the voice. "Oh! You startled me Vincent," he said, putting a pale hand on his chest, "What brings you here? I thought you were busy studying in your room."

The young man, Vincent, looked much like his father. In fact, there were only a few real differences between them. One was hair length; Abel still kept his long, but Vincent preferred his hair short. Vincent also didn't wear glasses. He wore a dark grey sweater and black slacks.

Vincent scowled and folded his arms across his chest. "I **was** busy studying, but then I saw poor Virgil pulling his hair out, so I offered to help look. I figured that if I followed you, I'd probably find Lilith." He glanced down the hallway his sister had run down, then looked back at his father. "Looks like I was right."

"Yes well, I suppose I just can't help myself," Abel said, shrugging his shoulders. A sly smile began to creep over his face. "You know, she reminds me so much of a young prince who would also beg me to let him sneak out with his sister just to visit a certain young nun."

A small blush creeped over Vincent's shocked face. "Father!"

Abel laughed. "Sorry, I couldn't resist. You can be so easy to tease, my dear boy."

His son mumbled something, his blush turning an even deeper shade of red. It reminded Abel of Lilith's red hair.

"Bah! I'm heading back to my room!" Vincent growled, throwing his hands in the air, "I have better things to do with my time!"

"Very well then," Abel said, "Oh, and please don't tell your mother about this. I'd like to keep my body in one piece."

"Sure! Whatever!" Vincent rounded a corner in the hallway and disappeared from sight.

"My, my, my…what a quick temper he has." Abel said, smiling and shaking his head.

--

The sun was high in the cloudless, blue sky. Londinium, the capital of Albion, was bustling with activity. It was the middle of summer, so everyone was out enjoying the beautiful weather. The city was buzzing with excitement.

The outskirts of the city, however, were a slightly different story. It was quiet and peaceful. Wind whispered through the trees. Butterflies danced in the bright sunlight. Animals skittered through brush and leaves.

Sister Jillian Middlestadt sat on a grassy hill. From her perch she could see all of Londinium. It was her favorite spot to sit on quiet days such as this when the church she worked at gave her time off.

Jill checked her watch and frowned. She brushed some stray brown hairs away from her grayish blue eyes. "I wonder if she forgot about today. Or maybe she actually got caught for once..."

"**Jill**!"

Jill looked down the hill. Lilith was standing there, waving to her with her trademark smile plastered on her face. She had a small, colorfully wrapped package tucked under one arm.

"Sorry I'm late, I got a little caught up in something," Lilith gasped as she dashed up the hill.

Jill cocked an eyebrow and smirked. "Let me guess, you forgot all about today, didn't you?"

Lilith rubbed the back of her neck nervously and looked to the side. "No way! I would **never** forget your birthday!"

"Really," Jill said blandly, still smirking.

"Well…it might have slipped my mind a bit…" the princess admitted.

They both began to laugh.

Jill stood up, brushing off her blue habit. "Well, at least you remembered eventually. So, what did you get me?" the young nun questioned.

"Stuff," Lilith replied, handing her the gift.

"Well that's a little vague," Jill giggled as she unwrapped the gift. It was a box of her favorite kind of chocolates.

"Thank you so much Lilith! These are the **best**!" She said with a smile. She looked back up at Lilith and began to giggle. Lilith was staring at the chocolate like she hadn't eaten in days. "Would you like one?"

"You bet I do!" Lilith shouted. There was nothing she loved more in the world than anything sweet, a habit she had inherited from her father.

The pair laughed and talked on the hill for most of the day. They hardly noticed when the sun sank and the sky was painted crimson and orange. The city streetlights were turning on and people were returning home for dinner. The songs of crickets and frogs could be heard within the forest.

Jill glanced at her watch. "Oh my, look at the time!" You probably need to head home soon Lilith, or Her Majesty will be upset."

Lilith frowned. She drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "Yeah, back to that dusty old palace with a bunch of dusty old people."

Jill groaned. "_Here we go again,_" she thought. "Why do you hate going back there so much?"

Lilith looked up at the dark sky. "Because Jill, I feel so… I don't know, caged, I guess. It can be so boring there, stuck in stuffy rooms learning how to be all prim and proper." Lilith stood up quickly. "I want to be free! I want to go see the world!"

Jill shook her head sadly. "But Lilith, so many would consider you lucky to be born into a life of royalty. Most people your age would be out working while you're in a palace living in the lap of luxury. Be happy with what God has given you!"

Lilith looked slightly disappointed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But I'd much rather be a poor farmer's daughter, or maybe even a member of the AX, like Dad was! I want a life full of danger and excitement!"

"Careful what you wish for, you may end up getting it," Jill warned.

"I certainly hope that saying turns out to be true!" Lilith laughed.

--

Officer Brown stood nervously in front of his queen and her husband. He took several deep breaths and ran a sweaty hand through his graying blonde hair, trying to calm himself. In his hand he held several photographs of a recent murder in a small town near Londinium.

Finally, he cleared his throat to speak. "Thank you, Your Majesty, for seeing me today. I have a matter that I would like to discuss with you both."

Esther nodded slightly. "So I hear. You say that you have reason to believe that terrorists are responsible for several murders in your town?"

Officer Brown nodded gravely. "I do. As you can see in these photographs, the victims seem to have been murdered with very thin wire. Most likely fishing line or piano," the officer said. He handed the photos over to Esther. "All of them were either very devoted to the church or were members of the clergy."

The queen carefully observed each of the photographs. "I see, but I don't understand why these deaths have anything to do with terrorists. It looks like another job for local authorities," the queen said, passing the photos back.

The officer closed his eyes. "Yes, but it's not the murders themselves that caused us to suspect terrorists. It's the message written in blood on the walls of the victim's homes that has us worried." He opened his eyes again, a pained expression on his face. "We think you may want to see it."

The officer handed Esther another photo. The second she glanced at it, her face grew pale.

"Esther, is something wrong?" Abel asked quietly, placing a hand on his wife's shoulder.

She turned to her husband, a fearful look on her face. "Its not possible…"

"What's not possible," Abel asked worriedly. It took a lot to spook the queen of Albion. If anything did, it was definitely a cause for concern.

She shakily handed him the photo. When he saw it, he understood. The phrase that was written on the wall was one he and Esther knew all too well. It was a phrase that most thought had been erased from the face of the earth over 25 years ago.

Igne Natura Renovatur Integra. By Flames Shall The Earth Be Reborn.

The Rosenkreuz Orden.

--

The room was dark and smelt of blood. The red liquid was everywhere, staining the walls and carpets. However, despite all the blood, the house was fairly clean. There was no sign of any struggle. Isaak put out his cigarillo in an ashtray on the coffee table.

"Well, aren't you just the little devil," Isaak mused. He weaved around several corpses strewn across the floor. All seemed to have been cut into pieces using thin wire.

"People have always said that I take after Papa," Helena said, admiring her handiwork. She carefully stepped around the bodies to stand next to Isaak. She gestured to the mangled cadavers on the floor. "So, you like?"

Isaak stared at the once happy family, lying cold and dead on the floor. He smiled in silent approval. Helena clapped her hands happily and giggled.

Isaak had to admit, Helena was very similar to her late father, Dietrich. Helena had shoulder length, silky brown hair that was styled the same way that her father's was. Both had stunning beauty and great intelligence. But most of all, they shared a sadistic personality. Helena, however, was a bit more childish at times. Isaak sometimes found it hard to believe that the woman was already in her mid-thirties.

"Oh damn! I think I got a little blood on you!" Helena said, sounding slightly upset.

Isaak looked over at her. She was not talking about him, but rather the cloth doll that she was holding. It held the distinct likeness of him.

Oh yes, she was a strange one.

Isaak's thoughts were interrupted by a rattling cough.

"Helena, you're slipping." Isaak teased.

"Humph," Helena huffed as she placed the doll on the ground. With a flick of her wrist, the doll animated and began to make its way over to the dying man in the next room. The two followed it.

The doll led them to the living room, where a man with severed arms and legs laid, slowly dying on the floor. His eyes swiveled back and forth across the room, then stopped when he spotted the figures looming in the doorway.

"My family...what have you done?" The man moaned, tears streaming down his face.

Helena wiggled her fingers. "I'm sorry mister, but it had to be done. A message must be sent to the Vatican and its allies." Helena replied, making it look as if it were the doll speaking, making it gesture and even impersonating Isaak's voice.

"You...you **monsters**!" The man shouted.

Helena's brown eyes darkened. "Monsters?" She asked quietly, "Now, that's not a very nice thing to say." She made a flicking motion with her other hand. "Oh no mister, we aren't the monsters. The **real** monsters are the ones who think that this filthy world can continue existing." Helena grinned wickedly. "Igne Natura Renovatur Integra, you sorry bastard."

The man gasped one last time before his severed head rolled across the floor.

Isaak watched and smiled. A strange one indeed.

* * *

**Author's Note:** So, what do you guys think? Good? Bad? If people seem to like it, I'll post the next chapters I have written. (I've only got 3 at the moment. I'm still working on the fourth) If not, I'll remove this, edit it, and try again hehe. Anyway, if you have the time, tell me what you think of the story. Oh, and I better give credit to my awesome Beta Readers, my friends Shii-chan and Aya-chan. I also have to thank Ekame, my editor. You guys are awesome! Oh, and I'm having trouble finding sites that give information on the characters only shown in the manga and novels. Wikipedia is good, but it doesn't have enough information. I figured since my fic was going to be based off the anime, I could probably get away with using characters only found in the novels and such since they never got to them. So if somebody could give me a good website for this, that'd be great!


	2. A Wish Granted

A/N: Finally, second edited chapter up. Don't expect the whole story to be edited any time soon hehehe, I'm very lazy. I won't have any new chapters up for awhile either due to editing.

A/N: So? What do you guys think? Please drop me a line if you can, I'd like to know if I'm doing a good job with this story or if it still needs some work. And I'm still looking for a website that has info on all the characters found only in the novels and manga. So if you know about one, tell me. Oh, and I'd like to thank Sanjifanforever for reviewing this chapter. Thank you so much!

I don't own Trinity Blood. But I REALLY wish I did, hehehe.

* * *

The dark, cool night descended quickly upon the city.

Vincent stood at the palace entrance, staring out into the inky blackness of the night. His eyes scanned the path ahead of him, searching desperately for any movement, any sign that his sister was coming home.

Without even thinking he began to pace back and forth, like an impatient cat waiting for its owner to put food into its dish. "_Where the hell is she? Doesn't she know how dangerous it can be for a noble to be walking around at night!?" _he thought angrily. Vincent's body stiffened and he stopped pacing when he spotted someone running in the distance. His muscles relaxed a little when he saw a familiar set of blue eyes looking at him.

Lilith walked casually up to her older brother. "Hehehe, sorry Vince. Guess I lost track of time," she said, slightly out of breath and smiling sheepishly.

Vincent fought the urge to shout at her and ran his hand through his silver hair to calm himself. "**Please** stop making us worry so much. I thought something terrible had happened to you."

Lilith scowled and folded her arms against her chest. "Oh jeez Vince! It's not **that** dangerous out here. What makes you think I'd be in any trouble?"

Her brother didn't say anything. Lilith looked at Vincent closely, noticing the mix of agitation and relief in his body. Something seemed...different. Like there was something really bothering him that night.

Lilith cocked her head to the side. "Okay, you usually get pretty peeved when I stay out too late, but something feels off with you. Did something happen at the palace while I was away?"

Vincent leaned against the palace's pale stone wall and buried his hands in his trouser pockets. "I'm afraid so."

The young princess' face grew smug. "That's right; you can't hide anything from The All-Knowing Princess Lilith Nightroad! Hahaha!"

Her brother scowled. "Whatever, can we please discuss more important things? Like the current state of our home?" Vincent was almost starting to wish she hadn't come home. He couldn't take much more of her carefree attitude.

"Alright, Alright," Lilith said, "So what's the deal?"

Vincent looked up at the night sky. "Well, I'm not exactly sure. It's just that…everyone is acting strangely. They're even starting to tighten up security around the palace," he said, "I think it might have something to do with the meeting Mother and Father went to today."

Lilith cupped her left elbow in her right hand and tapped her chin in thought. "Huh? You mean the one about the terrorists?" Her eyes went wide with panic. "Wah! You don't think there are terrorists trying to kill us, do you?!" Lilith yelled.

Vincent shrugged, his eyes never leaving the stars. "I have no idea, but I think it'd be best if you kept near the palace for awhile, alright? That means no more secret outings to see Sister Jillian."

Lilith scuffed her shoe against the ground. "Aww…okay," she said.

The young princess walked up the steps and joined her brother against the wall. Neither of them said anything; they were content in watching the stars in silence. The music of the crickets and the gentle breeze visibly relaxed both of them.

Finally, after several long minutes of quiet, Lilith decided to speak. "Hey, Vincent, can I ask you a question?"

Vincent looked over at his sister. "Sure."

"Why do you keep calling her Sister Jillian? Can't you just call her Jill, like back in the old days?"

Vincent's eyes clouded over, a million memories flashing through his mind. A small smile could be seen on his lips for a moment. But as quickly as it had come, it vanished. "Because her proper title is Sister Jillian," he muttered coldly, "She **is** a member of the clergy, remember?"

She cocked an eyebrow and glanced at the prince. "Yeah, I know that. I'm not stupid."

"Could have fooled me," Vincent mumbled.

Lilith whipped her head around angrily to face him. "Hey!" She shouted at him. Vincent smirked.

The young girl huffed and turned her head away from Vincent. "You're just being an ass to avoid the question." She grew tired of standing and decided to sit on the floor cross-legged, her back against the white wall.

Vincent's blue eyes narrowed. "I am not avoiding the question," he said sternly.

"Prove it!"

His mouth opened, as if to speak, but he closed it and stayed silent.

Lilith grumbled, but didn't press any further. Neither one of them felt like going inside yet, so they remained outside. After another few moments, an interesting thought occurred to Lilith. She grinned and began to laugh.

Vincent had a bad feeling about that laugh. He looked down at Lilith. "What are you laughing about?"

The girl continued to grin. "Oh nothing, it's just that I get it now."

"Get what?" he asked.

"You still have a thing for Jill," Lilith said in a sing-song voice.

The young man's face turned beet red. "Wh-what!? What are you talking about!?" he shouted, "I never had a thing for her!"

Lilith stood up and pointed at Vincent. "Oh yes you did! You were completely smitten." She came closer to her brother. "No, correction, you're **still** smitten with her! You just call her that so it sounds like you don't like her."

Vincent walked past her. "I'm just treating her with respect."

She followed behind him "Bah! Don't give me that crap Vince. You know you like her," Lilith said, smiling even wider, "You two can still get married! Mom and Dad got married, even though Dad's a…well, you know."

"I am not in love with Sister Jillian!" Vincent snapped.

"Yes you are!" Lilith snapped back.

"No I am not!"

"Yes you are!"

"**No. I. Am. Not!**"

"**Yes. You. Are!**"

Vincent had had quite enough of his little sister. "Grrr, c'mere you little twerp!"

"Ah!" Lilith screamed as Vincent chased her into the palace.

--

Lacey Jordan walked the long, twisting hallways of the Orden's new hideout, an abandoned mansion in the Germanic Kingdom. They had to select a new location, because the battle between Cain and Abel had destroyed the last one. It killed many of the Orden's old members, and nearly killed Isaak, Helena, and some of the other high ranking Orden members.

Lacey finally came to a very old and large oak door.

"Come in, my dear friend. Mein Herr has been expecting you," a voice said coolly from inside.

Lacey took a deep breath, smoothed her short, blonde hair, and opened the door. Inside were Isaak, Helena, and the Orden's leader, Cain. Isaak stood facing a window, gazing at the long dead garden in the courtyard. Cain was seated in a faded, overstuffed arm chair. Helena was in her usual spot; sitting in Cain's lap with her legs dangling across the side of the arm chair, her head resting happily on Cain's chest.

"Ah, so good to see you again Miss Jordan," Isaak said as he turned to face her, blowing some smoke from the cigarillo in his hand, "I trust that everything went according to plan?"

Lacey bowed slightly. "Yes, I've succeeded in creating a coup among some of the royal guards. We should be able to infiltrate the palace tomorrow night."

"Excellent work," Helena purred, "Yet I shouldn't expect any less from the Methuselah known as Snake Charmer. Those eyes of yours really do come in handy!"

Lacey had to prevent herself from sighing in disgust. Helena once again had herself draped over Cain while holding her creepy dolls. Today she had one that looked like Cain and one that looked like her late father Dietrich. How she despised this woman!

"Yes, excellent work Lacey," Cain said, rising from his chair and earning a whine of protest from Helena, "It's finally time to tell you all what I have planned for my dear brother and his family." He began to pace around the room slowly, stretching his white wings. "As you all know, during my last little scuffle with my brother, my body was severely damaged once more. Even Isaak is unable to repair it. So, in order to fix this broken body of mine, I must merge with Abel."

Helena gasped sharply. "Oh, Mein Herr!" Helena cried, rising up from the arm chair, "The last time you tried to capture Abel, he almost killed you! I don't think I can bear the thought of losing you again!"

Cain laughed. "Hush, calm down my pet," Cain whispered, stroking her cheek, "I promise you that this time will be different. This time, we shall have quite the bargaining chip…Abel's two darling children, Lilith and Vincent; my niece and nephew."

Isaak nodded approvingly. "Ah, I see. So we shall kidnap the two children and threaten to kill them if he does not merge with you?" the dark haired man asked.

"Yes," Cain replied, resuming his pacing, "I doubt that he will refuse, since my brother can be such a kind fool sometimes. And, should he refuse…"

"Then you could merge with the children instead," Isaak said, "They may only be half, but their nanomachines should be sufficient."

Cain smiled.

"Ah, another wonderful plan Mein Herr, it can't possibly fail!" Helena cried happily.

"Very well then, I will go make the final preparations," said Isaak, walking out of the room.

"Yes! Come, my Snake Charmer, let us prepare for tomorrow!" Helena shouted excitedly, tugging on Lacey's arm. Helena waved to her lover. "Goodbye, my darling Cain!"

Helena pulled Lacey back into the hallway and shut the oak door. "I must say Lacey; I'm quite surprised you managed to pull this all off. I hear the royal guards are quite the loyal bunch!"

Lacey snorted. "Please, all I had to do was promise them wealth and power if they helped us. All Terran, no matter how loyal they may be, still succumb to petty promises of money and power."

Helena laughed. "Yes, I suppose we do!" Helena began to tug on the blonde Methuselah's arm again. "Now, come friend! We have Autojäggers to create!"

Lacey sighed and scowled. How she truly **despised** this woman! Autojäggers were dead Methuselah, reanimated using Lost Technology. "_Proud warriors turned into pathetic, undead, unthinking slaves!_" Lacey thought angrily.

Helena, sensing her distress, turned to her and said, "Don't be that way, my friend. Besides, if all of this goes well, I think I may return your younger sister to you."

Lacey tensed. Her sister had been captured by the Orden years ago and was forced to work on Lost Technology. She hadn't seen or spoken to her in years. **That** was the only reason Lacey joined the Orden, to get her sister Sarah back.

She began to walk down the hallway with a slight spring in her step.

--

Lilith sat in a fairly large flag room that had been converted into a school room with a textbook in front of her. "_Oh, I hate algebra!_" she thought, rubbing her head to soothe her aching head.

Lilith's tutor stood stiffly in front of her desk. "Now, turn to page 324. Solve problems 1 through 30. Remember to show your work," the tutor said.

Lilith turned the page and stared at the book. The problems required very complicated equations that she had just begun to learn. "_Man, she must still be mad at me for yesterday,_" Lilith thought.

She was taught math by the same tutor that taught her etiquette and other various royal things. In short, she taught all the classes Lilith skipped the most.

After about an hour of horrid math problems, Lilith completed the assignment. By the time she was done, the sun was setting.

"I hope to see you tomorrow, Miss Lilith," the tutor said dryly.

"Yeah, yeah…" Lilith muttered. Maybe she would skip tomorrow. But then she thought about the talk her father and her had had, and decided against it.

After dinner, she headed down to the bathroom to go ready herself for bed. When she turned the corner of the hallway, she noticed a group of guards whispering to each other. She recognized one of them and decided to say hello.

"Hey, Marcus!" she said happily, "What are you guys all whispering about over here?"

"M-Milady!" Marcus replied, startled, "Uh, nothing you need to worry yourself over! Have a good night, milady."

Lilith cocked her head to the side. "Umm, okay," she said, confused. She turned away from the group and began to walk to her room. "Jeez, what's up with them?"

"Psst, over here Lilith!"

"Hmm?" Lilith looked back around the corner. Her brother was motioning her to come over. She went over to him to see what was wrong.

"I think something bad is going to happen tonight," Vincent whispered, a worried expression on his face.

"Bad? What do you mean?" Lilith asked.

Vincent glanced at the group of guards, who were still huddled together in the hallway. "Something's up with some of the palace guards. They're being really jumpy tonight."

Lilith nodded. "Yeah, you're right! When I went to go say hi to Marcus, he looked like he'd seen a ghost when I spoke to him! Did you tell Mom and Dad about this?"

Vincent ran his hand through his hair. He did that often when he was irritated. "Yeah, they already know. But they think it's probably nothing."

Lilith's scowled and crossed her arms against her chest. "Bah! They're probably not telling us if something's wrong because they think they might scare us."

"No, not us, **you** would freak out if you heard anything was wrong," Vincent corrected.

"I would not!" she shouted.

"Shhhh, keep it down twerp!" He peeked around the corner to check if they had been spotted, then turned back to Lilith. "You'll alert the guards!"

"Oh, sorry Vince," she said, covering her mouth.

"Also, it's dangerous alone. Take this," Vincent whispered as he handed her a small knife.

Lilith hesitantly took the knife. "Vince! I've never used one of these before! Besides, if anything bad happens, the guards would come and save us…right?"

Vincent sighed. "Lilith, it's the guards I'm worried about."

--

Lilith laid in her bed, snoring peacefully.

**Growl!**

Lilith groaned. Her stomach was growling again. "No matter how much food I stuff into this stupid stomach, it never seems to get full," she grumbled. She got out of bed, put on a robe, and slipped on her fuzzy slippers. She was just about to walk out of the room when she remembered the dagger hidden under her pillow.

_"Lilith, it's the guards I'm worried about."_

Lilith twirled the dagger idly in her hands. "Well, I guess I'll take it with, just in case," she said, slipping it into her pocket.

She walked down to the palace's large kitchen. She would come here on many nights, and on many occasions she would see her father there as well. Both had huge appetites. Sometimes, even her brother Vincent would be seen roaming the kitchen for a midnight snack. It drove the kitchen workers insane because they would eat so much.

She opened the fridge. "Hmm, what to eat, what to eat…" she whispered to herself. As she decided on a large piece of chocolate cake, she heard a noise from the other end of the kitchen.

"Eeep!" Lilith squeaked and spun around towards the source of the noise. "Wh-Who's there!?"

She put the cake back in the fridge and peered nervously into the darkness. Then she looked on the floor and saw a small brown mouse scurrying across the floor.

Lilith put a hand to her chest and sighed in relief. "Man, I'm freaking out over nothing," she said, turning back to the fridge. She felt a hand clasp over her mouth. Lilith let out a muffled scream.

"I suggest you keep still milady, or I'll have to kill you."

Lilith stopped moving. She managed to look back at the person grabbing her. The woman looked young, maybe about 18 to 20 years old. She had blonde hair, green eyes, and wore a strange looking black suit.

"_The hell I will!_" Lilith thought. She whipped the dagger out of her pocket and slashed the young woman across the arm.

"Ack!" the blonde woman yelled, removing her hand from Lilith's mouth.

As the woman was shouting, Lilith made a break for the door. She was almost there when the woman appeared in front of her again.

"_She's so fast! Is she a Methuselah?_" Lilith thought frantically.

"Okay, now you've just pissed me off," the woman said darkly. She grabbed Lilith by the throat, lifting her slightly off the ground. "Now be a good girl and _go to sleep_."

The woman stared directly into Lilith's eyes. Suddenly, Lilith felt very sleepy. She was slipping into a deep sleep when a crash and bang resounded nearby. She woke up as she fell on the floor. The woman was clutching her hand and screaming in pain.

"Damn! Those are silver bullets!" she screamed.

To Lilith's horror, she could smell blood. Lilith stumbled and almost fell to the ground again. "_Oh God, not here! Not now!_"

Vincent was standing in the doorway to the kitchen. He was holding a pistol in his hand. "Lilith! Hurry up and get behind me!"

Lilith groaned, and her vision began to blur.

"Crap," he muttered. Vincent dashed to his sister's side, looping an arm around her waist to keep her steady. He stepped quickly back to the doorway. "Did you see the blood?" he asked her worriedly.

"N-no…only smelled it," she said weakly, pressing her face against Vincent's arm, "I'll be fine in a minute. Just gotta keep my eyes closed so I don't see any. Where are the guards Vincent?"

"Sleeping. I think some of our own guards put a sleeping drug in their food. If I had to guess, I'd say we might have a coup on our hands." He pointed his pistol at the Methuselah. "Now tell us, little miss vampire, what the hell are you doing here? Or would you rather I shoot you again? I've got plenty of silver bullets."

"Bastard," the woman growled.

A cold laugh echoed in the kitchen.

"My, my, my, gotten yourself into a fine bit of trouble, haven't you, my dear Snake Charmer."

Another woman, this one with short brown hair and holding a blonde doll that looked like an angel, appeared. The woman was wearing the same clothes as the vampire. She was followed by seven armored men wielding giant axes. They wore helmets with gas masks that concealed their faces, so Vincent was unable to tell if they were Methuselah or Terran.

The doll woman surveyed the kitchen, then looked over at her injured companion. "I had hoped that I wouldn't have to use my Autojäggers, but it would appear that things aren't going quite as planned."

"Who the hell are you? Another vampire?" Vincent asked, pointing the pistol at the new assailant.

She smiled and shook her head. "Oh no no, my dear boy. I am Terran, like you and your sister." The doll woman began to tap her chin like she was deep in thought. "Yet then again, I suppose some might **not** consider you Terran like me, my precious little half-breeds..."

Lilith and Vincent gasped softly. Lilith finally gained the courage to look over at the strange young women. "_How does she know about that!?_" she thought.

"Your uncle has told us so much about you two. He desires nothing more than to see his niece and nephew. So, if you could please come with us," the woman with the doll said, extending her free hand.

Vincent glared and narrowed his eyes. "We don't have a clue what you're babbling about. Our parents don't have any brothers. We don't have an uncle."

The doll woman looked shocked. "You mean they never told you that you have an uncle? What terrible parents you have!" She put her hand on her hip. "Mein Herr will be most displeased with Abel. Well, no matter, you're coming with us regardless."

"When hell freezes over!" Vincent shouted. He tried to pull the pistol's trigger, but found that he was unable to move his fingers, or any other part of his body for that matter.

"What the-?" he whispered.

"Oh, and I must tell you, you both won't be able to move any part of your bodies at the moment. My strings have seen to that." The woman held up one of her hands and moved her fingers. "Right now, your bodies are under my control. You're now just a couple of adorable puppets."

Lilith struggled to move, but found that she was unable as well. "_Damn, she's right. I can't move. Just who is she?_" She looked more closely at the mysterious doll woman."_Wait...I remember Mom telling me a story once about a man who could control people like they were puppets. But that was back when the Rosenkreuz were still around...No, they couldn't be!_" Lilith thought. She decided to find out.

"Hey!" Lilith shouted, "Your name wouldn't happen to be Dietrich von Lohengrin…would it?"

The doll woman stopped smiling. "Dietrich von Lohengrin? No miss, you are mistaken." She frowned and looked down at the white and maroon tiled kitchen floor. "Dietrich von Lohengrin has been dead for years," she said sadly.

"Well, who are you then?" Lilith asked timidly.

The oddly cold, cheerful smile returned to the strange woman's face. "Of course! Where are my manners?" She bowed deeply and said, "My name is Helena von Lohengrin, I'm his daughter." Helena gestured to the blonde vampire, who was still clutching her bleeding hand. Lilith was careful not to look at it. "And my good friend here is Lacey Jordan. I prefer to call her Snake Charmer, however. I gather you've seen what wonderful eyes she has?"

"Hypnotism," Vincent muttered.

"Yes, quite the marvelous gift she has. Now, enough chit-chat, you're coming with us!" Helena made a flicking motion with her hand. The siblings tried to fight it, but they were unable to resist the urge to go towards her.

The sound of hurried footsteps could be heard in the hallway. "There they are! Stop them!" A man's muffled voice yelled from the other side of the door. Suddenly, a large group of people swarmed into the kitchen.

"Virgil!" Lilith cried. "_We're gonna be saved!_"

"Let them go, or we'll take them by force," Virgil said. Behind him were 20 palace guards, all of them well armed.

Helena groaned in annoyance. "Oh drat, it seems as though things are about to get messy. **Kill them!**"

The Autojäggers behind her began to move. Helena disappeared into the darkness, along with Lacey. The creatures began to swing wildly at the guards, but were mowed down by gunfire before they could harm anyone.

"Are you two alright?" Virgil asked, rushing over to the siblings.

"Oh Virgil, thank God you came!" Lilith shouted, hugging him. Virgil sighed in relief and pat her head soothingly.

"I thought all the guards were asleep," Vincent said, joining his sister and Virgil.

Virgil let go of the frightened princess. "Yes, most of them, but we caught word of the coup in time to rally a small group before the Rosenkreuz arrived. I assume the traitors must have left along with those two women."

"So it's true then, those people back there were really from the Rosenkreuz Orden?" Lilith asked.

Virgil nodded. "I'm afraid so."

Vincent shook his head in disbelief. "Wait a minute, I thought that the Rosenkreuz Orden dissolved years ago. No one has heard or seen them in 25 years."

Virgil's face took on a worried expression. "So did we. Anyway, come with me. Her Highness and Lord Abel are waiting for you. Best not keep them waiting."

--

"Hm, did a couple of palace guards prove to be too much trouble for you, Helena?" Isaak asked, a small smile on his lips.

The three were standing in an empty alleyway deep within the city. Helena was seething while leaning against a brick wall, while Lacey was sitting on the ground beside her bandaging her hand. Lucky for her, the bullets had gone right through her hand, so she didn't have to worry about removing anything. But the wound would not heal for quite some time. Isaak was standing casually in front of them, as if nothing had happened.

"Hmph, one of the stupid cowards must have gone and ratted out the coup," Helena huffed, crossing her arms. She glared hatefully at Lacey. "I thought you said that you had everything worked out Snake Charmer!"

"I thought I had the suggestions planted deeper!" Lacey spat, flexing the fingers on her injured hand.

"**Well apparently not!**" Helena screamed, moving away from the wall. "It's true that manufacturing Autojäggers takes little time, but that's no excuse to make me waste them because of **your** incompetence!"

Isaak sighed and placed a hand on Helena's shoulder. "Now Helena, there's no need to fret. Don't all great minds come up with a plan B?"

* * *


	3. A Sleepless Night

**Author's Note****: So here it is, chapter 3!! Hooray! I've been a bit disappointed with the lack of reviews though. Right now, I have over 90 hits and only 2 reviews. **_**By the same person**_**. C'mon peeps, show a little love hehehe. I can't improve the story if you guys don't tell me what's wrong. Anyway, enough mindless blather, on with the story!**

* * *

"Mom!" Lilith cried, rushing into her mother's arms.

"Lilith! Vincent! Thank goodness you're okay!" Esther said, hugging her son and daughter.

"Virgil, are the Rosenkreuz gone?" Abel whispered.

"Yes, it would seem that they only sent two agents. However, we may want to go to a safer location until we know for sure whether they were the only ones or not."

"So, it's true, then..." Lilith said, letting go of her mother. "The Rosenkreuz Orden still exists?"

Abel sighed. "Yes, it would seem that they were not destroyed."

"But Father! How can that be? I thought all the Orden's leaders died 25 years ago. How can they still exist?!" Vincent shouted.

"I'm not sure, all we do know is that we can't stay here for much longer. We have to get to a safer location. I think we should head to St. Michael church and hide in the underground passageways until all the excitement dies down."

"But Dad, how do we know if the Rosenkreuz haven't found that place yet?" Lilith asked shakily.

"We have to try," Esther said, "Virgil, prepare a car to take us to the St. Michael church."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

--

"Ow!" Lilith moaned as she laid her head against the car window. Every now and then, they would hit a bump in the road and her head would bang against the window. The back roads of Londinium, the capital of Albion, were notorious for their bad conditions.

"Hey twerp, why don't you just move your head from the window? You're going to have a million bruises on your head if you keep that up." Vincent said.

"But I'm so tired..." Lilith murmured, yawning.

Esther, who was sitting next to her, giggled. "Why don't you just lean your head on my shoulder and sleep?"

"Because it's too hot in here for that!" She whined.

Esther laughed again. "I'll make sure to talk about the conditions of the back roads at the next meeting."

"Thank you!"

"Don't worry, we should be at the church in a few minutes. You can sleep plenty there," Abel said, smiling.

They reached the small church about ten minutes later. The St. Michael church had been used many times in the past as a refuge for the nobility when things became dangerous. Under the church there were many underground tunnels, once part of the old Londinium slums. They were now sealed off, however, leaving only one entrance.

"Here we are. A sister should be here shortly to lead you underground," Virgil said, stepping out of the car.

"Thank you, Virgil," the queen said.

"Your Majesty! Is everyone alright!?" A young sister of about 17 shouted. She held a small candle in her hand.

"Jill!" Lilith shouted when she finally saw her face. She rushed to hug Jill, almost knocking her over in the process. "Everyone's okay!"

"Sister Jillian, take them to the underground passageways and find a place for them to hide. I have to return to the palace," Virgil said.

"Why isn't Virgil coming with us?" Vincent asked Abel.

"He and Vanessa have to go and secure the Ghetto. We have to make sure that the Orden doesn't infiltrate it."

Vincent nodded. The Ghetto was an underground city of Methuselah that developed Lost Technology for Albion. If the Orden captured some of the technology that they had been recently developing, then they would be in serious trouble.

"Alright! Your Majesty, please follow me," Jill said.

They headed inside the church. When they stood next to the chapel's alter, Jill lifted up a board concealing a trap door. She opened it and they clamored down into the dark tunnel.

The tunnel was pitch black and smelled strongly of mildew. Every now and then a rat was heard, scurrying across the floor. The hard rock floor was broken in many places, making it easy to trip if you weren't careful. Large spiders wove webs in small holes in the walls and on the ceiling.

"Eeep! I think I felt something crawl over my shoe!" Lilith shouted, "This tunnel is so gross!"

"Sister Jillian, how much longer do we have to walk?" Esther asked.

"Not much longer milady, the room is just up ahead," Jill said.

They soon came upon an iron door. The door creaked loudly as Jill pushed it open. Inside was a sparsely furnished room. It had some beds, a large, old table, a moth eaten couch, and other various furniture.

"Forgive the meager accommodations, it hasn't been used in a while and the church doesn't have the money to fix it up."

"This will do fine Sister, thank you very much," said Abel.

"I'll be staying here with you, in case anything happens," the young nun explained, removing a small handgun from a holster on her thigh, concealed by her blue habit.

"Uh...Jill? Can I ask you a question?" Lilith asked.

"Sure, what is it Lilith?"

"Um, do you actually know how to use one of those?"

"Well, to be honest...no." Jill said, smiling sheepishly and scratching her head.

"Wonderful," Vincent sighed.

--

It was chilly that night in Rome. It was two in the morning, most of the citizens were in their beds sleeping peacefully.

However, there would be no sleep that night for the AX.

Cardinal Caterina Sforza patiently waited at her desk for Sister Kate to return with more information of the attack on the royal palace in Albion. She had word that some of the palace guards had revolted and attempted to assassinate the queen and her family. And she had also heard much more disturbing reports on who had started it...

Caterina rubbed her temples. She hoped _dearly_ that it was merely angry palace guards and not something more.

A hologram of a middle aged nun materialized in Caterina's office. "Lady Caterina, I have more news on the attack on the palace."

"Thank you, Sister Kate. Is everyone safe?"

"Yes milady, no one was harmed. I hear that they've been moved to a safer location until the danger has passed."

"Good. Do you also have word on what may have caused the revolt?"

Kate's face took on a pained expression. Caterina could tell that she was not going to like this.

"I'm afraid that the rumors were true. It would appear that **they** have resurfaced."

Caterina sighed. "Twenty five years of peace. **Twenty five years**. Do we know if any of their agents are still in Londinium?"

"I'm afraid not. It would seem, however, that they are no longer in the palace."

"I see, keep an eye on the city. If anyone tries to invade the palace again, send in Gunslinger and Sword Dancer."

"Yes milady," Kate said. The hologram disappeared and Caterina was once again left alone in her office.

"Damn," said Caterina. All the hard work that she and the other members of the Vatican had done to make peace between the three nations was going up in flames. Once her older brother, Cardinal Francesco di Medici, found out about this, he would use it to convince the Vatican to go to war with the vampires.

"_This will not end well_," she thought.

--

Lilith tossed and turned in the tiny bed. Since there were only two beds, she was forced to share a bed with her brother Vincent. She tried to sleep, but every time she almost fell asleep, the day's events would play through her mind. She couldn't stop thinking about it.

"_Hmm, I wonder if Jill is asleep yet_,"she thought. She slowly crawled out of bed, trying not to wake Vincent. She then tip-toed over to the couch.

Jill was sleeping contently on the couch, snoring softly. "_Awww, she looks so cute when she's sleeping. I almost hate to wake her." _Lilith reached over and began to shake her softly. "Hey, Jill, wake up," Lilith whispered.

"Oh no, I couldn't possibly eat anymore chocolate Vincent. I've had too much already..." Jill was talking in her sleep.

Lilith covered her mouth and snickered. "Oh my gosh, she's dreaming about Vince. This is **too** funny!"

Jill groaned softly and sat up. She rubbed her eyes and asked, "Lilith? Is that you? Why aren't you asleep?"

"Hehe, hey Jill. I couldn't sleep. Do you think we could talk for a bit?"

"Mm, sure," Jill said sleepily.

Jill moved her blankets and made a spot on the couch for Lilith to sit. "I can't stop thinking about what happened today...it all seems so unreal."

"I know what you mean," Jill said, "We've had peace for so long, it's hard to believe that something like this could've happened."

"Not only that...but I feel so stupid!" Lilith whispered loudly.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"When the Rosenkreuz entered the palace, I was captured by one. I didn't even really put up a fight. If Vince hadn't shown up...I'd probably be with the Rosenkreuz right now. I feel so useless."

Jill sighed. "Lilith, don't be so hard on yourself. Remember who the Rosenkreuz are, they're not just your everyday vampires. They're very powerful."

"I know, but still! I was the only one who got captured, and the only one who didn't really do anything!"

"You know Lilith, you're right. You **are** just a burden."

Both the girls jumped. Behind them was a very groggy, very angry Vincent.

"Oh! It's just you Vince," Lilith laughed nervously. "Why are you up? It's three in the morning."

"Well, I **would** be asleep if some bratty little twerp knew how to whisper," he replied, tucking some of his frazzled silver hair behind his ear.

"Oh, sorry about that," Lilith whispered.

"Well, now that I'm up, I might as well sit with you guys. I doubt I'll be able to sleep now either, thanks to you," Vincent said, glaring at his sister.

Lilith scooted to the end of the couch, making a spot for Vincent to sit between them.

"Umm, hey Vincent?" Lilith said, twiddling her thumbs.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for saving me earlier..."

"No problem. Despite the fact that you're a bratty, loudmouthed twerp, you're still my little sister," Vincent said, tousling Lilith's hair.

"Vincent! Cut it out!" Lilith hissed.

Jill giggled. "_Even though they fight like cats and dogs, they still care about each other_," she thought.

"Anyway, Sister Jillian is right. Even I would have been captured if Virgil didn't show up."

"I know, but still!" Lilith grumbled, "Grrr, I wish there was a way I could meet that crazy blond vampire again. I wanna give her a piece of my mind! My neck still hurts from when she grabbed me!"

"Jeez, if you're so mad about it why don't you just join the church and go after her, or something," Vincent laughed.

Lilith froze. "Vince...that's not a bad idea!"

"What?"

"Joining the church! If I joined, then I'd be able to go after that Rosenkreuz chick!"

"Lilith, you **do** realize that I was joking, right?"

"No Vincent!" Lilith said, standing up, "I'm tired of always being the one who needs saving! Whenever there's trouble, I'm always the one who needs to be rescued! Like whenever there's a spider in my room, or whenever that stupid dog on West Street decides to chase me because I like to cut across its yard to get to that awesome bakery, or when-"

"Lilith!"

"What!?"

"Just how are you, the princess of Albion, going to get permission to go and risk your life to pursue a very dangerous terrorist organization?"

Lilith's face dropped.

"See, just let it go twerp. Your place is here, not in Rome or anywhere else. Let's just get back to bed," Vincent said, rising from the couch and heading towards the bed.

"Yes, it's getting late Lilith. Try to get some sleep," Jill said, smiling.

"Alright," Lilith grumbled, "Goodnight Jill. Goodnight Vince."

"Goodnight," they both said.

Lilith crawled back into the bed next to her brother and closed her eyes.

"_I __**will**__ find a way…" _She thought before finally drifting off to sleep.

* * *

**Author's Note****: Now, before you go off and read all the other amazing stories on this site , do me a favor and review. Pretty please? Hehehe. I would love you forever!! And I'm still looking for a site with info on the novel and manga characters besides Wikipedia. Good site, but not enough info. Alas.**


	4. Tunnels of Madness Part 1

**_Author's Note__:_ Yay! Chapter 4 is complete! I'd like to thank my newest reviewer, Xxsweet-venom-kissxX, for dropping me a line. You made my whole weekend hehehe. Anyway, on with the fanfiction!**

* * *

Finally, they all managed to fall asleep that night. Early the next morning, a knock was heard on the door.

"W-Who's there?" Jill asked, startled from her sleep. Her hand went straight for her gun.

"It's us, Sister Agatha and Sister Julie. We've come with breakfast for you."

Jill sighed. "Oh, I'll be there in a second," she said, kicking her blankets away. She opened the heavy door and let the two nuns inside. One had a pitcher of milk and some glasses while the other had a large tray full of bacon, eggs, and toast.

"Mmmm, something smells really good," Lilith said, sitting up.

"Oh! Breakfast! How very kind of you!" Abel said, also waking up.

Everyone gathered around the table and filled their plates with food.

"Man, it feels like I haven't eaten in days!" Lilith shouted.

"More like you haven't eaten since **last night**. You can be such a pig sometimes," Vincent remarked.

"Hey!"

"Alright you two, that's enough. It's too early in the morning for you two to be fighting," Esther interrupted sternly.

"Sorry," they both apologized.

"Your Majesty, we have a message from Mr. Walsh," Sister Julia said, "He says that there have been no signs of the Rosenkreuz Orden, so it should be safe to return to the palace tomorrow."

"Ah, thank you Sister Julia," Esther said.

"Aw, we have to stay another day in this creepy place?" Lilith whined.

"Yes, but it's better than having our lives in danger, isn't it?" Abel said.

"Yeah," Lilith grumbled.

"Do you need anything else, Your Majesty?" Sister Agatha asked.

"No, you two may take your leave. Thank you very much for breakfast."

"You're welcome, Your Majesty," both Sisters said in unison.

After everyone was finished eating, they all went their separate ways. Esther began playing Solitaire with a deck of cards she had brought. Abel was reading a book. So was Lilith, but she quickly grew bored with it. Vincent and Jillian, however, were just staring off into space. They both looked slightly anxious to do something, but they remained glued to where they sat.

"_Oh, jeez, just looking at those two makes me angry. You can tell how much they want to talk to each other. Here they are, **in the same room**, and they wont talk to each other because one is too shy and the other is too stubborn! Sheesh_!" Lilith thought. Then a mischievous smile formed on her lips. "_Looks like this situation calls for a little meddling_…"

Lilith walked to the other side of the room where Vincent was. It looked like he didn't even notice her.

"_Man, he's really out of it_," she thought, "_Normally, he'd be able to tell if I was coming from the next room_!" She began to wave her hand in front of his face. "Hey! Earth to Vincent! Man, what is with you?"

"Huh? Oh, it's just you. What do you want twerp?" Vincent asked, broken out of his reverie.

Lilith sighed. "Jeez, can't you just finally give in?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about finally giving in and talking to a certain nun who just happens to be in the same room."

Vincent groaned. "Good Lord, will you quit harping on that?"

"I'll stop when you finally **man up **and talk to her!"

"Are you saying that I'm too scared to talk to her?" Vincent asked as his face began to turn red.

"Scared **and** stubborn." Lilith said, smiling.

"I am not!"

"Then prove it, lover boy."

"Fine!" he said, storming off.

"_Ha! That was way too easy_!" Lilith thought."Umm...Sister Jillian?"

"Yes, Vincent?" Jill said, looking up at him.

"I was, um, wondering if...you wanted to talk?" Vincent said while his face began to blush a little.

"Of course. But only on one condition..."

"What is it?"

"That you start calling me Jill again," Jill said softly, a small smile forming on her face.

"I really don't think that would be very proper, Sister," Vincent said sternly.

"Please Vincent. Please call me Jill again, like you did in the old days..."

Vincent paused and then sighed. He never could say no to her.

"Fine. So, how have things been with the church...Jill," he said, smiling a little.

Lilith watched and giggled as they made awkward conversation. However, as with most things, she quickly grew bored of watching the shy couple.

"Hmmm...what else is there to do around here…?" She asked rhetorically.

--

Helena sat in front of a large computer monitor, tapping the keyboard quickly. Her face was illuminated eerily by the dim light of the computer screen. In her lap was a doll that looked like herself.

"Well, have you finished programming the system yet?" Isaak asked, appearing beside her.

"I should be done in a few minutes. It's actually quite sad, I had hoped it would have been more of a challenge to get this old thing up and running again," Helena sighed, "Although I must admit, your plan B is quite brilliant!""Ah yes, the Crimson Angel system. Developed by the Methuselah during Armageddon as a last resort against the Terran. Truly a thing of beauty," Isaak mused.

The Crimson Angel was made near the end of Armageddon. Its purpose was to destroy Earth by setting off strategically placed bombs deep underground. It was developed so that if the Methuselah lost the war, then they could take all of humanity with them. However, it was dismantled before they could ever go through with the plan. So it laid dormant until the Orden discovered it. One was located under the city of Londinium, in the old slums.

"My goodness, who knew ending all life on Earth could be so simple!" Helena laughed.

"Indeed. Now, if you will please excuse me, I have an important matter to take care of..."

"Are you going to find the children? Oh! I wish I could go with you!"

"Nein, I think it would be best if you stayed here. After all, you're the only person who can wake up Sleeping Beauty. And once you're finished with that, you need to start locating the others."

"Awww!" Helena whined as Isaak once again drifted back into the darkness.

--

Despite the slowness of the day, night finally came. Everyone was getting ready for bed.

"I am **so** ready to get back home tomorrow!" Lilith said, fluffing her pillow."Indeed, I can't wait to sleep in my own bed again. I don't think I've ever slept on a couch this uncomfortable!" Jill complained, rubbing her neck.

"Goodnight!" Lilith shouted to everyone.

"Goodnight," they all replied.

Within a few minutes, everyone was dreaming peacefully. However, Lilith once again found herself staring into the darkness, unable to sleep.

"Grr, I'd be able to sleep if that annoying rumbling would stop!" Lilith loudly whispered to herself. The entire day Lilith had been hearing strange rumbling noises. She asked everyone else if they could hear them, but they all said that she was hearing things.

"_It must be because everyone else had something to do, but I was bored and had nothing to do. I probably think I hear something because I haven't had anything else to focus on the entire day. Yeah, that must be it_," she thought, "_But do imaginary sounds get louder over time_?"

Vincent shifted in the bed and sat up. "Hey, Lilith."

"Huh? What Vincent?" Lilith asked, also sitting up.

"I think I'm starting to hear your imaginary noise."

The room began to shake slightly. A small lamp that had been sitting on the end table next to the bed fell off it and shattered.

"What on earth? An earthquake?!" Esther asked, waking up after hearing the lamp break.

"No," Abel said, listening to the rumbling, "This is something else." Then he gasped and his eyes went wide. "Everyone! We need to get out of here, quickly!"

It was too late though. A giant wormlike creature burst through the stone floor.

Lilith coughed. She couldn't see anything. Normally, she could see very well in the dark, but there was too much dust in the air.

"Guten aben, Father Nightroad. No, I suppose they call you Lord Abel now, don't they? It's so good to see you again."

"Who is he Father?" Vincent asked Abel.

"Isaak Fernand von Kampfer...a member of the Rosenkreuz Orden. But I heard he died during the attack on Albion 25 years ago!"

"Is that what they told you…?" Isaak mused, "Please, don't think I would be so pathetic as to have died in a simple accident. It was a proxy on that ship, nothing more. Although I must say it was a rather expensive piece of Lost Technology, I should ask the Vatican to pay for it."

"What are you doing here, Kampfer?" Abel growled as he stepped in front of his wife and children. He didn't want to have to activate his nanomachines, but if Isaak proved too difficult, he would have to.

"Now, how many times must I tell you to be less formal, Abel? Please, call me Isaak. Or if you prefer, you can always call me Wizard. Now, I will give you two options. One; you hand the children over to me, or two; you come with me and merge with Mein Herr. Make your decision quickly, my lord."

"_Damn him, looks like I have no choice_," Abel thought. "Nanomachine Crusnik 02, power output 40 percent, acti-"

But before Abel could finish, Isaak held up his hand. "Tsk, not so fast Lord Abel. I think you may want to rethink that." Isaak bent down and picked up the limp form in front of him. It was Jill.

"Jill!" Lilith shouted.

"Ah, Miss Lilith. It would seem that Helena was correct, you **are** quite the beautiful fraulein. You know, I heard the most **interesting** thing about you from your uncle. It would seem that you have a most unique, how should I put this, condition..." Isaak drew a small knife from one of his coat pockets.

"No...he wouldn't!" Lilith gasped. "Stop! Don't kill her!"

"Kill her? Oh, you needn't worry about that yet. I have a much more interesting plan for her," he said, inching the knife closer to her neck. Then he made a long cut along the young sister's throat. Not deep enough to kill, but enough to make it bleed slightly.

That was all it took though.

Lilith saw the blood and turned deathly pale. She began to shake and break out in a cold sweat. She dropped to her knees.

"Lilith!" Esther shouted. "_Oh no, it's happening again!"_

"No, not a monster...not a monster..." Lilith began to mumble. Then she stopped shaking and passed out on the floor.

"So it is true, how **very** intriguing. A hemophobic Crusnik. Doesn't it just scream irony?"

"**Bastard**!" Vincent yelled. His eyes, which were once ice blue, turned a deep, glowing red. His lips began to grow dark, almost black, and sharp fangs poked out of his mouth.

"I see that the other rumors about you two are true as well. You posses the ability to transform into the true form of a Crusnik. This will please Mein Herr very much."

"I'm gonna rip you apart!" Vincent shouted. He lunged at Isaak, but he quickly sidestepped out of the way.

"Here, take her back if you want her so much," Isaak said coolly. He threw Jill's still limp body over to Vincent. "Still, I don't think I'd want to be her when she wakes up..." He said, smiling.

Vincent gasped slightly. "_Damn, he's right! If she wakes up and sees me_…"

Jill stirred in Vincent's arms. She looked like she was regaining consciousness.

"_No! She can't see me like this! She'd be terrified!"_ he thought, trying to calm down his nanomachines.

Then the room once again began to shake. Even Wizard looked a little surprised by it.

"_Damn, I must have dug around the slums too much; the room is collapsing!" _Isaak thought.

The floor gave out beneath them. Everyone tumbled into the tunnels below.

--

"Ow, my head hurts..." Lilith moaned, sitting up from the floor, "Mom! My head hurts! Do we have any aspirin?" Lilith looked around the room. She was the only one there.

--

"Ouch...what happened? Why does my neck hurt so much?" Jill asked, finally waking up. Jill felt her neck and discovered that it had been bandaged. She looked and saw Vincent lying on the ground with Esther and Abel next to him.

Esther looked over at Jill. "Sister Jill, you're finally up? How are you feeling?" she asked, concern written all over her face.

"I'm okay, but how is Vincent? He looks..." Jill didn't want to say it.

"His head slammed against a rock when we fell, but he should be fine. There's no need to worry," Abel said. He sighed and gave a troubled glance. "If there's anyone who we should be worried about, it's Lilith."

Jill gasped. "Why!? Is she hurt too!?"

"We don't know."

"What do you mean!? How could you **not know**?"

"It's hard to know how someone is doing if they aren't in the room with you."

Jill looked puzzled for a minute. Then she looked around the room and realized what he meant.

Lilith was gone.

--

Isaak sighed. The worm creature had been crushed and killed by a falling rock.

"Oh well, looks like I'll have to use something else to find them," Isaak muttered. He snapped his fingers and two clear, gelatinous creatures with tentacles appeared before him.

"Go find Lilith and Vincent Nightroad. Do not kill them. However, should anyone else interfere...feel free to feed."

The creatures made a sickening noise akin to a pleased growl and darted off into the tunnels.

* * *

**Author's Note****: Oooohh, a two parter hehehe. Well, tell me how this chapter was and make sure to read the next chapter to find out the exciting conclusion!! God, I feel like I just gave a preview for some television show.**


	5. Tunnels of Madness Part 2

**Author's Note: Ah, part 2 of Tunnels of Madness is complete! I'm really sorry this one took so long to get up, my friend Ekame has been very busy so he didn't have a chance to edit it. Also, he forgot about it sobs. However, I hope to get the next chapter up soon since I know what I wanna do…I think, hehe. Oh, and I'd like to thank firecat13 for giving me a review. Yes, I do plan to have Seth in my fic. She's one of my favorite characters so I plan on finding a way to ship my main characters to the Empire, hehehe. As for Jill finding out about the Crusniks, you'll just have to wait and see laughs evilly Thanks to everybody that gave me a review for part one of chapter 4!**

* * *

Lilith walked the long, winding tunnels of the Londinium slums. It was very hard to see, so she stumbled often.

"Hello? Is anybody there? Mom? Dad? Vincent?" She called into the darkness. "Ack!" Lilith yelled, tripping on a crack in the floor.

"Grr, stupid tunnels! It's completely hopeless!" She yelled, crossing her arms. "I wish I were back home..." A small tear slipped down her cheek.

There was a shuffling noise..

"W-Who's there?"

A growl was heard deep within the tunnel. It slowly started to grow louder.

_"_Crap!" Lilith shouted as she dashed further into the slums. The gelatinous Sylphide was hot on her trail, and would soon catch up to her_._

"_Oh no, I've gotta do something fast! Think, Lilith, think!"_ She began to frantically search the ground. She spied a flat piece of stone on the floor that must have fallen from the wall.

"_Well, it's worth a shot,"_ she thought. She lifted it up an found it quite heavy. It was perfect for what she had in mind.

She hid herself in a small alcove and waited for the creature. When it was almost upon her, she climbed out of the alcove and swung the rock at the Sylphide. It struck true into the creature's stomach. How hard she swung it, coupled with the speed at which the Sylphide was moving caused it to bounce back with a sickening crunch as the beak in its stomach shattered. The dazed creature stepped back, then fell to the floor. It made horrible screeching noises as it writhed on the ground.

"Ha! It worked!" Lilith shouted with a look of triumph on her face. That look quickly faded though when she saw it trying to get back up.

"Uh-oh, I better get out of here quick!" She ran into the tunnels before the Sylphide could return to its feet.

--

"Lilith! Lilith! Where are you!? Liiiliiith!" Jill called. They had been searching the tunnels for many hours without any luck.

"I don't get it, where is she? We've been searching these tunnels forever," Vincent groaned.

"The tunnels are as large as Londinium itself, she could be anywhere right now…" Esther explained solemnly.

"Well, if we don't find Lilith, then we're sure to find a way out of here. Then we can send a search party to find her," Abel said.

Jill stopped walking. She stared dejectedly down at the floor. "If she's even still alive…"

"Sister! Don't say such things! Of **course** she's still alive," Abel said, putting a hand on her shoulder, "Despite her delicate exterior, she quite tough, just like her old man! Now, lets continue searchi-**ouch**!"

Just as he was walking away, Abel tripped and fell on his nose, causing it to bleed slightly.

"Just like her old man, huh?" Esther giggled, helping him up.

"Don't laugh, Esther! It really hurt! I think I broke it…" Abel whined, wiping a small tear from his eye.

"Oh, don't be such a baby! It looks fine," Esther scolded, taking a handkerchief from her pocket and using it to wipe the blood.

Vincent sighed. It never ceased to amaze him how his father could say something hopeful, then screw it up by either tripping, breaking something, or falling into a fountain.

"She's doomed," Vincent muttered to himself.

--

"I'm doomed!" Lilith shouted as she ran from the angry Sylphide. After it recovered its wits, it pursued Lilith even faster. It lashed out at Lilith, one of its tentacles latching onto her arm. She screamed as it slowly started to pull her closer. Then it wrapped several of its other tentacles around her body, preventing her from moving.

"Ah, so you've caught our beautiful little fraulein," Isaak said. He walked up to her and looked behind her into the darkness. "I see that she's alone. A pity, I had hoped that if I found one, I'd find them both. It would seem, though, that my work is not yet finished."

"You bastard, leave them alone!" Lilith yelled.

"I'm afraid that I can't do that, my beautiful prinzessin. Mein Herr also requires your handsome prince as well. However, I **don't** need the cute little Sister or the Queen. Well, I suppose that they would make an excellent meal for my Sylphides."

"Don't! I'll kill you if you try!"

Isaak laughed, but there was no mirth in it. "My, my, my, such strong words coming from such a helpless little fraulein. How about you and I make a deal. If you tell me where they are, I might consider sparing them."

Lilith's voice grew low, "Don't you dare touch them."

Suddenly, Isaak felt the room get a little colder.

"As I said before, I don't believe you're in a situation where you can make demands. Well, I'm going to assume that you have no idea where they are. I suppose that my little pets will have to get some exercise before they eat."

"I said, **don't touch them**…" Lilith's voice began to sound metallic. Her eyes became blood red, her nails sharpened, and white fangs poked out of her mouth. The room grew even colder. Frost began to build up on the floors and walls. Isaak began to shiver slightly.

Soon, the whole room was white with frost and ice. Isaak's hair began to freeze and his lips turned slightly blue. The Sylphide that had been holding her had been frozen solid. Lilith broke free from its grasp, breaking it into tiny pieces.

"I see…you take water particles in the air and objects and slow down their molecules, freezing them. A Crusnik with ice ability, absolutely beautiful."

"Die," Lilith growled. In her hands materialized black throwing knives, two in each hand. She threw one set at Isaak.

However, before the knives could make it to him, he put a barrier in front of him. "_Damn, that little ability of hers is quite potent. My body is already getting sluggish_. _I could barely put up the Shield of Asmoday_," he thought.

"Well, I'm afraid that I'm going to have to cut our little chat short. I have some pressing business to attend to. Goodbye, my little ice princess…"

Isaak put down the barrier, and escaped into the darkness of the tunnels. Before he was safely away though, Lilith threw the other set of daggers. Isaak cried out in pain as the darkness consumed him.

Lilith's nanomachines began to calm down and her features looked more human. She slid to the floor.

"Shoot, it's been too long since I've fed. I was about to run out of power. But I can't rest now, I gotta find Vincent and the others!"

She picked herself off the floor and began to search for her lost family and friend.

--

Isaak hissed as he pulled the two knives out of his body. One had hit him in the left leg and the other hit him in his lower back. The flesh around the wounds had been frozen solid and seemed to be growing larger. He managed to escape back into the Crimson Angel's control room.

Helena looked back at him. "Oh my! Looks like you got into a fine mess of trouble," she said with a smug expression on her face.

"Yes, it would seem that our little princess is more powerful than we expected. She possesses abilities similar to Helga's."

Helena groaned. "**Please** do not mention that witch in my presence. She just can't get it through her head that Cain loves me and not her. Hmph, she might have had a chance with him if she didn't have that ridiculous blue hair or put her hair into those ugly buns. You won't believe what she said to me the other day! She actually had the audacity to tell me-"

Isaak cut her off, "Enough of your senseless babbling!" For once, Isaak lost some of his cool composure. He continued to clutch his leg in agony, the frostbite was still spreading.

"Well you don't have to bite my head off! Anyway, you should go back to headquarters and get those nasty wounds treated. But could you be a doll and send some of those slimy demons after them? I've managed to locate the next Crimson Angel and Mein Herr has ordered me to activate it, so I won't be able to play with the children today."

"Very well then, I will meet you there," Isaak said. Helena walked off and Isaak began to concentrate. He summoned 8 of the gelatinous Sylphides.

"Capture the Nightroad siblings and bring them back to the Orden. I don't care if they get injured, just make sure that they get there alive."

The Sylphides darted into the tunnels and Isaak hobbled to the entrance. "Hmm, they say that those that run away live to fight another day. 'Tis a pity though, that I won't be seeing you two again today. Oh well, another time my dears." He then exited, and the room grew silent except for the low humming of the machines.

--

Jill and the Nightroad family were still walking in the tunnels, having seen no sign of Lilith or an exit. They had entered a large chamber with a high ceiling. A light shuffling noise came from behind them.

"Lilith!?" Jill shouted hopefully. There was no answer.

"Hey, twerp? Is that you?" Vincent walked closer to the noise. Then, a tentacle shot out and grabbed him.

"What the hell?!" he shouted, struggling to break free.

The Sylphide growled and drew him closer.

"Let him go!" Jill shouted, taking her gun out of its holster.

It growled louder and shot another tentacle out. Jill closed her eyes, turned her head, and fired at the creature.

The bullet hit the creature and grazed Vincent. It retracted its tentacles, dropping the prince.

"Ouch! Please try aiming next time you fire that thing," Vincent said, running back to the group.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to hit you! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's just a flesh wound."

The queen gasped and pointed to the other doorway. More Sylphides were pouring into the room.

"There are too many to fight, we'll have to find a way to run!" Abel shouted, frantically searching the room for any other exits.

The Sylphides came closer, pushing the group to the wall. Jill screamed as they reached for them.

The ceiling began to rumble. Then it collapsed on top of the Sylphides, crushing them to death.

The group coughed from all the dust, then they heard a cough that didn't belong to them.

"Man, I've **really** done it now. All I do is trip and fall and the whole floor collapses!"

Jill gasped. "Lilith!"

"Huh? Whoa!" She yelled as Jill tackle hugged her.

"Truly a gift from God she is!" Esther laughed as she too ran to hug Lilith.

They all ran to hug Lilith and tousle her dusty hair. "Heh, I should disappear more often," she giggled.

"No, I think once is enough," Abel said, cleaning his glasses.

The now reunited group headed into the tunnels once more. Soon, they found a ray of light shining from a hole in the ceiling. On the wall was a ladder; they had found the trap door that led into the church!

The look of shock on the clergy's faces was priceless as a very dirty royal family and a young nun climbed up from the slums.

"Your Majesty! Sister Jillian! Are you all alright?" They were crowded by worried nuns and priests.

"Yes, we're all fine. Is everyone safe up here?" Esther asked.

The church grew quiet. Esther's gaze was drawn to 5 bloody sheets on the floor in the corner.

One of the priests spoke up, "There were two people, a young looking woman carrying a doll and a man with long, black hair came in and demanded entrance into the slums. We refused… And then…" the priest's voice began to break, "The woman, she laughed as she slaughtered some of out priests and nuns, and said that if she had to ask again…she'd kill us all one by one. We're deeply sorry Your Highness! We shouldn't have let them through!"

"No, you did the right thing…" Esther said quietly.

--

The funeral for the murdered clergy was held 3 days later in a large church in the city. The Nightroad family attended, as well as many of the townsfolk. The people of Londinium were grieving for more than the fallen clergy, however. It had finally been let out that the enemy of the world had resurfaced after 25 long years of peace.

Lilith walked over to Jill and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey, are you alright?" she asked the grieving Sister.

"Yes, I'll be alright. I just…need a little time is all," Jill said, wiping tears from her red and swollen eyes. "These people…they're like a family to me. To see them like this is…" She couldn't finish before she burst into tears again.

"_Poor Jill_," Lilith thought as she walked over to her family, "_She lost so many friends, all because of us_…"

"How is she doing?" Vincent whispered to his little sister.

"Not so good, she's taking it pretty hard," she whispered back.

Vincent sighed and looked over at the mourning Sister. "I'm going to go talk to her for a minute," he said.

She watched as Vincent approached Jill. He said a few words and then Jill flung herself into his arms, sobbing.

Lilith felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked back and saw her father.

"We should be going soon. It'll be dark in a little bit, and Virgil doesn't want us out too late," Abel said.

"It's all our fault, Dad. If the Rosenkreuz weren't looking for us, then they'd still be alive…"

"Lilith, don't be so hard on yourself. There's nothing we could have done."

"No Dad, I failed again. That was the same woman that had attacked me and Vincent, Helena von Lohengrin. If we had stopped her in the palace, then she wouldn't have killed all those innocent people!"

Abel sighed. "Even so, Isaak would have probably done the same thing."

"Dad, there's…something I've wanted to ask you and Mom."

"Hmm?"

"I…I want to join the AX!"

"Eh?!"

"Dad, I want to get stronger. Ever since this whole mess started, I've learned how weak I am. I may be part Crusnik, but I never feed on…" she struggled to say it, "Blood. If I don't feed, then I can't use my powers, which leaves me totally useless. I need to find a way to be strong, without having to resort to my powers, so I can fight the Rosenkreuz! Please Dad, I want to help. And I know the only way I can is by joining the Vatican, like you and Mom."

Abel sighed again. "I'll… Speak to your mother about it later. Now c'mon, we have to get going."

--

"Abel, you can't be serious! She can't go to Rome, it's too dangerous!" Esther was pacing about the room.

"Esther, love, listen to me for a moment. It might not be a bad idea. She'd learn how to fight, and you know that she'd be well protected." Abel said, following her.

"No Abel! I'm telling you, Lilith would be much safer here in Albion with the rest of us," Esther said. Her husband and her had been arguing for an hour about what to do about the request of their daughter.

"Really? Safe you say? And you call going through a coup and almost dying in the slums of Londinium safe?" Abel asked.

The queen stopped. She had to admit, on some level, her husband was right. She sighed and sat in a chair. "I know, you're right…but I just can't imagine her being so far from home. I wouldn't see her for so long, and Lady Caterina would send her on dangerous missions. She might…never come home."

"I know, it'll be hard," Abel said quietly as he knelt beside Esther, "But I think that it'll be good for her. Being with the AX would offer her greater protection than what we could give her here. Besides, Lilith is very stubborn. If we said no, then she would sneak out the window this very night and head for Rome any way she could."

Esther nodded her head, finally conceding defeat. "Oh, very well then. I suppose that I shall have to speak to Her Eminence tonight and arrange for her to join."

"I've already taken the liberty of asking. Lady Caterina is ready to take her at any time."

"What? You mean that you already asked her without telling me?!"

"Hehe, I knew that I could get you to see it my way," he said, smiling.

Esther muttered something under her breath and got up from her chair.

"Where are you going, my dear?"

"I'm going to talk to Lilith for a minute," she said, exiting the room.

--

Lilith was lying on her bed, reading a cheap romance novel. She was so caught up in her book that she didn't hear the soft knocking on her door. The person knocked again, louder this time, and she finally heard it.

"Come in!" she called. "_Aww, it was getting to the good part too_."

The door opened and Lilith saw her mother walk into the room.

"Huh? What is it, Mom?" Lilith asked.

"We need to talk Lilith," Esther said, shutting the door.

"About what?" Lilith sat up and made some room on her bed for her mother.

"Rome," Esther answered, sitting down, "We need to talk about your joining the church. We've decided to let you go."

"Awww, I knew you would say no! But Mom, I…wait a minute, come again?"

"I said, your father and I have come to the decision that you might be safer in Rome. It would be harder for the Rosenkreuz to get you."

"Really?! You actually mean it!? You're really letting me go to Rome?!" Lilith shouted, her eyes full of excitement.

"Yes, you will be leaving in a week. We just need to make some final preparations."

"Thank you so much Mom!" Lilith shouted with joy as she hugged Esther, "I promise that you won't regret it!"

"Alright, just promise me one thing Lilith."

"What?"

"That you'll come home safe," Esther said quietly, tears forming in her eyes.

"Yeah, you have my word, Mom," she said as she hugged her mother.

--

7 days later, Lilith was standing by a limousine holding a large suitcase. She tearfully hugged her mother and father and exchanged heartfelt goodbyes with some of the palace staff.

"Where's Vincent? I haven't said goodbye to him yet," Lilith asked, looking around.

"He said that it would be too hard for him to say goodbye," Esther said.

"And what about Jill?"

"She was too busy with church duties."

"Oh, I see. Well, I guess I better get going then. See you guys later."

"Wait, before you go, Lilith, I have something to give you," Abel said, putting something soft into her hands.

"Huh? Your old hair ribbon?" Lilith asked, a puzzled expression on her face. The ribbon was long and made of black satin. Its coloring had faded slightly with age.

"Heh, that thing went through hell and back with me while I was in the AX, since I could never afford to get a new one, what with the vow of poverty and all. It's kind of like a good luck charm, you could say."

"Thanks Dad," Lilith said. She took her scarlet hair and put it into a ponytail. "So, how do I look?" she asked.

"Wonderful," Abel said as he kissed her on the cheek, "Now, I have a little advice to give you before you head out. **Always** be on your guard when you're with that lady killer, Father Leon. He's nothing but trouble. The last thing I need is a pregnant teen daughter! Oh, and don't be intimidated by Father Tres. Underneath that cold exterior he's actually quite kind. Oh, and **donot**, under **any** circumstances, help with or be near one of the Professor's inventions. It always ends very badly! Oh, and-"

"Okay Dad, I get it!" Lilith laughed, "Be careful around all of your old co-workers."

She stepped closer to the car and shouted goodbye to everyone. When she opened the car door though, she was met with quite a surprise.

"What the hell are you guys doing in there!?"

Inside the car sat Vincent and Jill along with two suitcases by their feet.

"I thought that it would be too hard for me to say goodbye, just like Mother said," Vincent said coolly, putting his hands behind his head, "So I figured that I might as well just come to Rome with you."

'And you?" Lilith asked, pointing to the smiling Sister.

"Also just like your Mother said; I'm on church duties," Jill proclaimed, handing a piece of paper to the shocked princess. It was a notice for Jill to be transferred to Rome.

Lilith looked back at her parents, who just smiled broadly. She then began to smile, too.

"Well then, shall we get going?" Lilith asked, shutting the car door, "Driver, take us to the train station. We're almost late for our train to Rome."

* * *

**Author's Note****: Well, I'm not sure if royalty would just let their kids run off to Rome like this, but I had to find some way for them to get there, hehehe. Once again, sorry for the delay! Me playing too much Kingdom Hearts 2 also contributed to it, hehe. I am officially a fangirl of Axel and Demyx (I laughed myself silly when I saw the scenes of Demyx in the Underworld) Alas, I haven't seen many of the Organization's other members. I just finished the Timeless River world. Anyway, I hoped that you enjoyed this chapter. Drop me a line if you can! Have a wonderful day! Or night, or whenever you're reading this, hehe. I'm off to play even more KH2!!**


	6. Arcanum Cella ex Dono Dei

A/N: There, chapter 6 is finally done. I apologize if this chapter seems badly written. My once wicked awesome editor, Ekame, has become an emo…again. I lost him once before, but I don't think I'll be getting him back this time. So from now on most likely, I will be doing my own editing. It will still be proof read by my friends Shii-chan and Aya-chan though, so maybe this story won't be a total failure hehehe. Anyways, enjoy!

Oh, and I guess I haven't done the disclaimer in awhile, have I? I don't own Trinity Blood. If I did, then Esther and Abel would have kissed!! Hehehe.

* * *

"It's so gorgeous!" Lilith shouted, twirling about the entrance to train station. The trio had finally arrived in Rome after a short plane trip and then a long train ride.

They stood on the steps of the train station and looked at the city. From where they were standing, they could see the Vatican. On the streets all kinds of people went about their business. Men went to work, children played, and the women gossiped. Priests and nuns also walked the streets, talking with the people they passed by. Every now and then, people would pass by the trio and stare at Vincent. Not many of them had ever seen a young man with silver hair.

"I know! I knew Rome was beautiful, but this is truly magnificent! Don't you think so too Vincent?" Jill said, trying to take in all the sights at once.

"Yeah, it is pretty nice. Now, Father Tres should be coming to meet us soon. He'll escort us to Lady Caterina's office," Vincent said as he shielded his eyes from the blaring noonday sun.

"Oh, Big Brother Tres is coming to meet us? Hooray! I haven't seen him since the festival a few years ago!" Lilith exclaimed.

"Huh? Big Brother Tres?" Jill asked.

"That's what she's always called Father Tres, ever since she was a child. It's a long story," Vincent said with a small smile.

Lilith giggled as she stared at the sky and recalled her first meeting with the priest. "When I was 6, I was playing in the palace gardens. While I was running around, I kinda tripped and fell."

"As usual," Vincent muttered.

Lilith threw a dirty look at Vincent before continuing her story, "I scraped my knee and started crying. Then, some guy walked up behind be, picked me up, and asked me for a "Damage Report"! I was so surprised! But I found out that he was really nice, like an older brother. So from then on, he was Big Brother Tres!"

"Search reveals no definition for this term. Please re-input."

"Huh?" Lilith looked behind her and gasped. Behind her stood a tall priest with an expressionless face. "Big Brother Tres!"

The large, brown haired man was bear hugged by the happy princess.

"I do not understand the term "Big Brother". We are not related by blood," the handsome priest said, his voice monotone.

Lilith laughed and squeezed him harder. "It's good to see you too."

"He talks like a robot," Jill whispered to Vincent.

"That's because he is. Tres is an android," Vincent whispered back.

"What? You can't be serious," Jill said as Vincent walked down the stairs to greet Tres as well.

"I think you better let him go Lilith. The Professor wouldn't be too happy if he had to repair him the first day we got here," Vincent laughed.

"Aww, alright," Lilith said, releasing Tres.

"Its good to see you again Father," Vincent said as he shook Tres' hand.

"Positive. It is good to see you both in good health."

"Big Brother, I want you to meet our friend Jill," Lilith said. She shoved the surprised nun in front of Tres. For awhile all she did was stare at the priest, Jill had always been very shy around strangers. She began to stare at the ground, her short, brown hair falling into her face.

"C'mon Jill," Lilith laughed and nudged the nervous nun, "It's not like he bites or anything."

The Sister took a deep breath and exhaled. "H-hello, my name is Sister Jillian Middlestadt. I look forward to working with you," the young Sister said as she curtsied.

"Positive. Her Eminence is waiting, we should get going," Father Tres said. He turned and began to walk down the street.

"Yay! We get to see Aunt Caterina! Hmm, I wonder if we'll get to see all the other members today," Lilith wondered aloud as she ran after Tres.

"Goodness, does she have names for everyone in the AX?" Jill laughed. She had finally regained her composure.

"Just Lady Caterina and Tres. We never really got to meet the rest of Father's old friends," Vincent said.

"I see. But from the way Lord Abel was talking about them, it would seem that we're headed for trouble," Jill sighed. Jill and Vincent picked up their luggage and tried to keep up with the android and the hyper teenager.

Vincent finally managed to catch up with his overly excited sister. "Hey twerp, we need to talk for a second."

"Vince, quit calling me twerp! You know I hate it!" Lilith fumed.

"Whatever. Listen, you can't tell anybody about us being royalty, okay?"

"Huh? Alright, but why?"

"It would draw too much attention. We don't want the Rosenkreuz finding where we are for as long as possible."

"Oh, right. No problem," Lilith said, nodding her head.

As they walked the streets, they saw even more sights. The houses were clean and well kept. Some had flower boxes or a small yard. The cobble stone streets were devoid of any pot holes or trash. They walked passed art museums, old ruins, and other various tourist attractions. It was no wonder why the city was hailed as the center of the modern world.

At last they finally made it to the front gates of the Vatican. There were two stern-looking men guarding the entrance. When the group approached, they blocked the way with their spears.

"Halt! No unauthorized personnel are allowed passed this point," the guard on the right said.

Tres rummaged through his robes and pulled out his ID card. The guards saw it and moved their spears. "Alright, you're good," the guard said.

"Wow, it looks even cooler on the inside!" Lilith shouted excitedly as they walked the halls of the Vatican. They passed what appeared to be the Vatican's library.

"Lilith, keep your voice down. People are staring…" Jill whispered.

Lilith looked around. There were annoyed priests glaring at her for breaking the peaceful silence. She laughed nervously and apologized.

"Well, you're certainly a loud one. But I'm glad to find someone with so much enthusiasm," laughed someone from behind them.

There was a squeaking noise as a young man in a wheel chair wheeled out into the hallway. He had short, dark feathered brown hair and green eyes.

"You must be new here," he said and extended his hand, "My name is Alexander Peterson, feel free to call me Alex."

"Yeah, we just arrived here this morning. My name is Lilith Nightroad," Lilith said, shaking his hand, "This is my brother Vincent and my friend Jillian Middlestadt."

"I see. Well, after you get settled, come find me and I'll give you a tour. See you later," Alex said, returning to the library.

"Alexander huh…what an interesting priest…" Lilith said.

"My Lady, you will have time to converse with the other clergy members later. We must keep moving," said Father Tres.

"Huh? Oh, right. Let's get going," she said.

After much walking, they arrived in front of the door that led to Caterina's office.

Tres knocked on the door. "Come in," a woman's voice said.

The group entered the cardinal's office. A blonde woman in bright red robes sat behind the desk.

"Welcome to Rome," Caterina said.

"Aunt Caterina! It's so good to see you!" Lilith shouted excitedly. She ran behind the desk and hugged the surprised cardinal.

"Yes, it's good to see you two again as well," Caterina laughed, returning the hug.

"Lilith, must you hug everyone you meet?" Vincent sighed in annoyance.

"Yes," she proudly proclaimed.

"Alright, lets get down to business shall we?" the cardinal said, letting go of Lilith.

Lilith returned to the front of the desk. "Now, Lord Abel has already given me the details on why you want to join the AX."

"Yes, we wish to help against the Orden in any way we can," said Vincent.

"Are you well aware of the dangers that come with joining? There is a chance that none of you will be seeing Albion again…" Caterina warned.

"We are well aware of the dangers Your Eminence," Jill admitted, "But we have seen the state the world is in. It **needs** help."

The blonde cardinal sighed. "Very well then, you will start training Wednesday. Father Tres, show them to their rooms."

"Thank you Your Eminence," the trio said in unison.

Sister Kate materialized in the room after the door had been shut. "Lady Caterina, are you sure that they should be joining? Aren't they a little young?"

Caterina laced her fingers together on the desk. "We have no choice. In this time of peace we have become shorthanded. And many of us are getting old Sister Kate…I'm not sure how much longer some of our agents can keep up with this lifestyle…"

"I see, but I just hope that **they** can keep up with the lifestyle. This is not work meant for children…"

--

"That is your room over there, My Lord, number 48," Tres said, pointing to a door down the hall of the men's wing.

"Thank you Father. See you guys later I guess," Vincent said. He waved goodbye to the two girls and walked down the hall.

"Now, we must head to the women's wing for your rooms," the android said. They continued through many hallways and passed many rooms.

"I'm **so** going to get lost here," Jill whispered to Lilith.

"I know, this place has so many hallways…I'm never going to remember where everything is!" Lilith whined.

"Negative. Despite its size, the Vatican layout only requires simple memorization."

"That doesn't help Big Brother!"

"Search reveals no definition for this term. Please re-input."

"You're hopeless!"

"We have arrived at your designated rooms." Tres had finally stopped in front of a door. "Sister Jillian, your room is number 62. My Lady, your room is next to it, number 63."

"Yay! We get rooms next to each other!" Lilith exclaimed.

"Positive, Lord Abel requested it. He claimed it would make you feel more at home."

"Thank you very much Father. See you later Lilith, I'm going to take a nap. This trip has left me bushed," Jill yawned. She entered her room.

Lilith turned to Tres. "Well, looks like this is it. I can't wait to start working with you Big Brother," she said.

"Positive. Goodbye, My Lady."

"Bye!"

Lilith inspected her new room. It was fairly small and painted a tan color. It had a bed, a light stand, and a table with a cheap computer on it for storing files and other various work related task. There was a window at the other end of the room that had a view of the Vatican's gardens.

She flopped on the bed and sighed in content. She was finally about to live out her dreams.

"Mmm, this bed is comfy. Maybe I'll take a nap myself…" She was slowly falling asleep until she heard a loud a rumbling. She looked around and discovered it was her stomach.

"Damn," Lilith muttered and sat up. Her stomach growled again. "Alright Alright, I'm getting you some food. Just shut up already…"

Lilith began to walk around the Vatican to find the kitchen. After about 30 minutes of searching though, she gave up.

"Grr, how am I supposed to find anything here!" she whined. Her stomach began to growl even louder, attracting the attention of the clergy who passed by.

"How mean, none of them are even asking if they can help," she sighed as she hung her head, "Jill is asleep, I don't even remember where Vincent's room was, and Tres is who knows where…Oh, I wish somebody would just help me!"

"Allow me ma'am."

"Huh?" Lilith looked up. It was the young priest she had met earlier! "Alex! God it is so good to see you! I'm completely starving and I can't find the kitchen and no one would help me and-"

Lilith was cut off by Alex's laughter. "Slow down Miss Nightroad, there's no need to panic. Where are your other friends?"

"Well, Jill is sleeping and I don't remember where Vincent's room is…"

"Let me show you where the kitchen is then. I was actually getting a bit hungry myself," he admitted.

"Really?! Thank you so much! I haven't eaten in forever…" Lilith said dejectedly.

"Well, we shall soon see to that. It's actually not that far from her, just a few hallways down," Alex chuckled.

Alex was correct and they reached the kitchen in a few minutes. Along the way they had talked nonstop. They spoke about the Vatican and its layout and other various things concerning Rome.

"There's this really nice café by the hospital where my family works. I should take you there sometime," Alex said.

"Oh, a café? Sounds great! Where I come from, there aren't many cafés," Lilith sighed.

"Really? They're practically on every street here in Rome. I can't imagine a place without them, where did you live?"

"_Crap, I can't tell him where I'm from_!" Lilith thought. "_What do I tell him_!"

"Uhh…I'm from…" She struggled to think of an answer. Suddenly an idea popped into her head. "Istavan! I'm from Istavan."

"Istavan? Now where have I heard that name before…" the young priest mumbled. "Oh yeah! That's where Queen Esther of Albion lived as a child right? Before she joined the AX?"

"Yep," Lilith said proudly, "That's where she used to live!"

"Goodness, you lived that far into the boondocks? Must have been pretty boring."

"Yeah, pretty boring. Not much to do in uhh, Istavan," Lilith laughed. "_Gotta remember to thank Mom later for telling all those stories_!"

"So is this the first time you've ever been in the big city?" Alex asked.

"Huh? Uhh, yeah," Lilith said, nodding her head.

"Well, would you mind if I took you out to eat instead? I did promise you a tour of Rome earlier," Alex said as he grinned broadly. He began to wheel off in the direction of the gates.

"I guess so. Would you mind if we went to the one café you were talking about?" Lilith asked.

"Sure, it'll be my treat."

"No way! I couldn't make you pay!"

"Nonsense," the priest laughed, "Think of it as a welcoming present."

"Alright, but I better warn you now, I have a bit of an appetite," Lilith said.

"All the better. You need to eat to get plenty of energy for when you start your training. The training for the AX can be quite tiresome. I barely passed it myself," Alex admitted sheepishly.

"Oh! You're in the AX too? Neat, that means that we'll be co-workers!" Lilith shouted excitedly. Then her stomach rumbled. "Hehe, I think we better get going soon. I think the rumbling is almost getting loud enough to shatter glass."

--

"Here you are miss, enjoy," the waiter said. Lilith began to salivate as he put down two shrimp cocktails, a large chicken breast, a bowl of clam chowder, and a glass of iced tea. Then the waiter set down a grilled chicken breast and an iced tea in front of Alex as well.

"Ah, sweet, delicious food!" Lilith said, "Pass the sugar cubes please."

Alex passed the sugar to her. Then she began doing the most peculiar thing that he had ever seen. She began to put not one, not two, but thirteen sugar cubes into her tea.

"Umm, Lilith? Don't you think that's a little too much sugar?" the confused priest asked.

"Too much? Nonsense! You can **never** have too much sugar!" She began to sip the sugary drink. "Ah, perfect!"

Father Alex watched in horror as she ate all that was in front of her. "_My God…where does it all go?!_" he thought. He barely touched what he was eating during the meal, he was too fascinated by the petite girl's eating habits.

Lilith finally noticed him staring and tilted her head. "What? Is there something on my face?"

"What? Oh, no. I was just spacing out a little. My apologies," he laughed.

"Oh, okay then," Lilith said, returning to her meal.

After awhile, they both finished their food. Lilith sighed in content and leaned back in her chair. "So, what's for dessert?"

Alex didn't know whether to faint or to begin laughing hysterically.

"W-whatever you feel like ordering," he said. "_My God…she's a bottomless pit_!"

She ended up ordering a piece of cheesecake and an ice cream sundae. Alex decided not to order anything. Just watching her eat made him feel full.

As she ate, Lilith looked at the buildings that neighbored the café. Right across the street was a large hospital. It had a sign next to it that said Carità Hospital.

"Hey, is that the hospital your family works at?" Lilith asked.

"Yep, Mom and Dad have worked as surgeons there for 27 years."

"Wow! 27 years? They must be pretty good."

"Yeah, a lot of people say that they're the best in the city," Alex said, "Mom certainly doesn't act like it though. Hehe, I personally think she's a little nuts."

"Aw, isn't that a little harsh?" Lilith laughed, "She can't be that bad."

"How many moms do you know who will break out into song for no reason, fall asleep to loud music, and freak out if her hands get even the slightest bit of sticky?" Alex said smiling.

"Hmm, okay, maybe she is a little nuts."

They both began to laugh. "And that's not even the half of it," Alex chuckled.

"_Hmm…he's got kind of a cute laugh_," Lilith thought. Then she began to blush slightly and shake her head. "_Oh jeez, what am I thinking!?_"

"Is something wrong Lilith?" Alex asked.

"N-no! I'm fine! I was, just wondering if maybe you had any siblings?"

"I do." Lilith noticed his face drop a bit when he said that. "He's, well, lets just say he's a little different from me and Mom. I guess he's a bit more like Dad, he's pretty serious most of the time."

"Well that's too bad. This world really needs more people like you and your Mom," Lilith said. She noticed that she had finished all of her sweets. "Well, I guess we should get going. I had a really nice time."

"Yeah, me too. I won't be going back to the Vatican though, can you find your way home?" he asked while paying the bill.

"Umm, I think so. Hey…would you mind, umm, maybe doing this again sometime?" Lilith asked, looking at the ground.

"I don't see why not. Tell me when you've got some free time and we'll go see the rest of the city," Alex said, smiling.

"Really? Great! I'll come get you my next day off!"

"Alright then, see you around Lilith." Alex turned his wheelchair and started heading for the hospital.

"_Oh…I think I'm really starting to fall for this guy! And I only just met him today_!" Lilith thought. She noticed something odd as she thought this however. Just as that thought popped into her head, Alex stopped moving. His face began to turn bright red as well.

"Hey, is something wrong Alex?" she shouted to him.

"N-no! Everything's fine! Umm, see ya later!" He started moving again, a little faster this time.

"Huh, whatever. Now…which way was home again?"

--

Alex sighed when he entered the hospital lobby. "_Damn, I thought I finally stopped doing that_!" he thought.

"Alex! My baby! I haven't seen you in forever! I missed you while I was in the Empire!" an old woman from across the room shouted. She had grey hair that went down to her waist and silver glasses. The woman then ran up to the stunned priest, hugged him, and gave him a wet kiss on the cheek. The nurses began to giggle.

"Mom! Not while we're in public!" Alex grumbled. His mother always found a way to embarrass him in front of the nurses and doctors.

"Oh, you're no fun!" she laughed, "Now, isn't there something you wanted to say to me? Hmm?"

Alex sighed and smiled. "Welcome home Mom."

"That's **much** better. Now, speaking of wanting to say things, isn't there something **else** you wanted to tell me?"

"Huh? What?"

Ashley began to giggle. "That girl I saw you with, the really cute one. You finally found a girlfriend while I was away!"

"Huh!? N-no! You've got it all wrong!" Alex stuttered.

"Wrong eh? Then how do you explain that great big blush on your face as you were leaving? I think somebody got a burning love confession!" she teased.

Alex's face dropped. "Well, I guess you could say that…"

Ashley's face took on a perplexed look. "Then why the heck are you so glum my boy?"

"Because Mom," Alex said, his voice growing quiet, "I didn't hear her say it, I heard her **think it**…"

The doctor sighed. She took off her glasses and started to clean them. "I see, so its resurfaced itself has it? Well, nothing to worry about dear, its not like you can help it. It just happens."

"I know, but it hasn't happened for months. I thought I had finally learned to control it…"

She put a hand on his shoulder. "I know its upsetting, but it's something you need to learn to accept. You can hear thoughts again, so what? All we need to do is work on it again, you'll learn to control it," she said.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Alex sighed.

"Now, you poor mother is absolutely starving for a hard-boiled egg. Can you **believe** that they didn't have any on the flight?" the doctor whined.

"You and your crazy food cravings," Alex laughed.

His mother stopped. "Wait, what did you just say Alex?"

"Umm, that you're cra-oh no…don't do this to me Mom!"

"Well, you know what I have to say about that, my dear Alexander?" His mother began to grin broadly.

Ashley took in a deep breath. "I'm not crazy I'm just a little unwell!" she began singing as she walked towards the cafeteria; earning giggles from the patients she passed by.

"Mom!"

* * *

A/N: Hehehe, I love the song Unwell by Matchbox 20. Review if you can, I want to know how my first Ekame-free chapter went.

Oh, and I'd like to thank SageofAges729 for giving me reviews. I'm sorry for having Isaak live, but I luvs him too much!! And Helena's past will be explained later, most likely in a filler chapter. Let me just say that all is not as it appears with her, mwahahaha!

I kinda feel like there was an overabundance of fluff this chapter. But what can I say, Tori likada fluff. I'm a total sucker for romance.


	7. Mischief

A/N: Meh, I'm not feelin' too hot about this chapter. But I knew I needed to get something done. Guess the thought of starting my freshman year in the next few days had stunted my writing abilities. Sorries. As it turns out though, high school is kinda fun. Spanish and Drama are the coolest classes ever!

Hmm, a thought occurred while writing this. Do they even have cell phones? In the manga they do, but I dunno about the novels and such. Oh well, I put them in here anyway hehehe.

* * *

"Where am I?" Lacey said to herself. She appeared to be alone in someplace very dark. She could barely see 10 inches in front of herself. She began to walk around, trying to spot anything in the inky blackness.

"Lacey..."

Lacey whipped around. "_Did I just here a voice?_" She peered into the darkness and saw nothing. "Is someone there?"

"I knew it...you've forgotten all about me. You can't even recognize my voice..."

"_What the hell is she talking about..._" Lacey said to herself. She continued to look until she finally spotted something in the distance. The figure wore tattered clothes and was sitting in a hunched position with its knees drawn to its chest, concealing its face. When Lacey came closer, she noticed that it had blond hair.

And then it clicked.

"Sarah?" she whispered. "It is you! Sarah!"

Lacey ran over to the girl, a look of pure joy on her face. She reached down and hugged her, tears welling up in her green eyes. "I missed you so much Sarah..."

"No you didn't," Sarah stated. The girl hugged her legs even tighter.

Lacey looked at the girl like she had grown two heads. "What are you talking about? I never stop thinking about Sarah, never!"

"Then why haven't you found me yet..."

Lacey sighed and grabbed Sarah's hand. "It's that horrible Terran's fault. Helena won't let me see you. If she wasn't around, we'd be together again!"

The girl was quiet as she continued to hold her older sister's hand, as if she was thinking about something. Her grip suddenly began to tighten.

"You know what...I think you're just like them Lacey," she said weakly.

"W-what!? What do you mean Sarah?! I'm **nothing** like these monsters!"

"Yes you are," she said. Her grip tightened even more, making Lacey's hand hurt slightly. "You kill innocent people. You destroy homes and towns. You separate families. You are **just like them**."

"I do it all for you!" Lacey shouted, tears rolling down her face. "I do it all so we can be a family again!"

The girl began to shake slightly. "No. You do it for pleasure, just like the rest of them. You're just like the people who killed Mom, just like the people who killed Dad, and just like the people who killed..."

Sarah finally raised her face. It was no longer the youthful face of the sister she once knew, but the face of something dead. Her hair was stringy and had clumps of dirt in it, her skin was rotting and had maggots crawling in it, and her eyes were milky white.

"Me."

Lacey screamed.

--

"Oh my, it would appear that you've had quite the nightmare, my dear."

Lacey frantically looked around. She was in a taxi that was parked on the bad side of Rome. Helena was sitting next to her in street clothes, holding a doll that looked like the shaken Methuselah. Helena wore a simple black blouse and a black skirt that reached her knees. Her hair was tied back in a short ponytail.

"_Oh yeah...the mission_," Lacey thought as she sighed and looked at her own street clothes, a red long sleeved shirt and a faded pair of blue jeans. They were supposed to contact a gang that had access to some Lost Technology from the Empire and pay them a large sum of money for it. They had to wear all this so they wouldn't look suspicious.

"Hey, is your sister alright miss?" the taxi driver asked, looking back at the two girls.

"Yeah, she just had a nightmare. Thanks for the ride," Helena said as she stepped out of the car and grabbed the suitcase she had brought. "Come along Lacey."

Lacey got out of the car and joined Helena. She looked around at the foggy slum. It looked like there wasn't anyone else around.

"Hey! Aren't you forgetting somethin' lady? You still haven't paid me," the driver said, sticking his head out the window.

Helena looked back at him and smirked, as if suddenly remembering something amusing. "That's right, I believe Isaak said to kill anyone who knew we were at the slums."

"What are you-**aahh**!" The taxi driver's face took on a shocked look. He looked like he couldn't breathe.

Helena giggled as she watched.

Lacey could only sigh.

--

"There, ready for tomorrow's ceremony," Vincent said, admiring his new cassock. He even had his father's old rosary. Abel had claimed it might bring him some luck. Vincent had always wondered where he had gotten such a unique rosary, but all his father would ever say was that he had gotten it from someone very special to him. Vincent never pried further since he always seemed to get sad whenever the rosary was mentioned.

The next day would be the inauguration ceremony for the AX. He and his sister, as well as Sister Jill, would finally be part of the AX after 7 months of hard work.

"Hmm...Jill..." he whispered to himself. Just hearing her name made him blush. He had barely seen her for 7 months because they'd all been so busy with their training. He had to admit, it would be good to see her again...

Then, Vincent heard a tapping noise on his window. It sounded like pebbles were being thrown at it.

"I didn't miss **her** though during these 7 months," Vincent grumbled, "After all, how can I miss someone who keeps trying to break my window in the middle of the night!"

Vincent walked to his window and angrily opened it. "Alright twerp, you better have a good reason for sneaking to my room after curfew."

"Hehe, hi Vince. Just dropping in to give you my latest test scores, since you bug me whenever I don't," Lilith laughed as she handed him a small slip of white paper. Then she climbed through the window and flopped on Vincent's bed.

"Let's see here, looks like you actually got decent grades this time around," Vincent said.

"Hey! I always get good grades!"

"You call C's and D's good grades?"

Lilith's mouth opened as if to say something, but stayed silent. Finally, she sighed. "Okay, you may have a **small** point there."

"Personally, I thought that they were going to ship you back to Albion weeks ago," he chuckled.

"Hey!"

"Kidding, I'm kidding. Anyway, where do you want to go eat tomorrow? I figured the three of us should go celebrate after the ceremony," Vincent said, still chuckling.

"Huh? Tomorrow? Umm-well-you see," she mumbled as she picked at a thread on her blue habit, "...I can't. I have a...prior engagement."

"A prior engagement!? What the hell are you talking about?" the young prince asked. He then noticed the blush on her cheeks. "Oh, I get it now," he said, grinning like a cat who had gotten both the canary and the cream.

Lilith looked at him with a confused expression.

"You're going on a date with that kid in the wheelchair, aren't you?"

Lilith's face turned as red as her hair. "D-date!? N-no! You've got it all wrong! He just said that he'd buy me dinner if I made it through the training! And he's not "that kid in the wheelchair", his name is Alex..."

"Uh-huh. Well, I guess I'll leave you to your little date then, have fun," Vincent laughed.

"W-wait! I mean, we can still go get dessert together. I found this really nice bakery down the street. The cake there is delicious," Lilith said.

"Do you mean "Alex showed me this really nice bakery down the street"?"

Lilith growled and stormed off toward the window.

"Call me on my cell when you get done with your date, Jill and I will come get you."

"Fine. Whatever," Lilith grumbled, slipping out the window and into the garden. Most of the employee's bedrooms were centered around the Vatican's main garden.

"See you at the ceremony tomorrow," Vincent said. He closed his window and drew the curtains.

"Well, now what? I'm totally wired right now," Lilith wondered aloud. It **was** an awfully nice night...and she was sure nobody would bother checking if she was in her room...

"I think a little night stroll is in order," Lilith said smiling.

--

"Hello there boys," Helena purred when she saw the group of thugs enter the lonely alleyway. She was sitting on an old crate with Lacey standing beside her.

"Hey there doll face, you guys with the Orden?" a burly man, who seemed to be the leader, asked. He had greasy brown hair and an ugly scar running down the left side of his face. The group consisted of about 6 people, all wearing beat up leather jackets.

"That's us," Helena said, "You may call me Puppemeister, and this is my friend Schlangenbeschwörer, or Snake Charmer if you prefer. Now, do you have what we want?"

"Depends, you got the cash?"

Lacey tossed the suitcase at the feet of the scarred man.

He picked it up and looked inside. He looked pleased with whatever the contents were.

"Well, like they say, pleasure doin' business with you ladies," the leader said, handing over a manila envelope. "Directions to where the goods are being kept are in there."

"Thanks. Now, if you'll excuse us," Helena said. She was going to slip off the crate, but the thugs began closing in.

Lacey scowled. "Do you need something else?"

"Well, now that I think about it, those goods were pretty hard to get. I don't think this is enough to cover it," the scarred man said. His eyes had a lustful glint to them.

"Yeah. You know, you girls are pretty cute. How about we have some fun before you head home," a skinny man said as he approached Helena. His hand began to creep up her skirt. "Wow, you've got some really nice legs there."

"Really? You think so?" Helena asked, her finger tapping her lip as she looked up at the sky, "Hmm, then I guess you should be grateful that that's the last thing you'll ever feel."

The man looked confused at first, then shocked. He coughed, a little blood trickled from his lips. Then a thin, red line appeared along his throat.

The thugs gasped as their companion fell to the ground, his head rolling away from his body. Blood began to spurt from his neck as his body twitched slightly.

Helena smiled as she picked up his head. "Sorry, but only Mein Herr is allowed **that** kind of fun with me," she said, stroking his hair, "Now then, what was this about not having enough money?"

The thugs were already gone.

"Huh? Oh well then, guess we'll never know," Helena said as she shrugged, tossing the head aside.

--

Lilith loved taking walks around the city. It made her think of Londinium, and her family. Whenever she felt homesick, she'd just take a stroll down the street and she felt like she was back in Albion.

"_Hmm, I wonder how everyone is doing_," she thought. She and the others still sent letters to their loved ones, but it just wasn't the same as actually being there. It was so easy to lie in a letter; you're not actually talking to someone in person.

"_And I just know Mom and Dad would lie to me if there was anything wrong, just so I wouldn't worry_!" she thought angrily as she stomped her foot on the ground.

Lilith was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn't notice that the streets became less clean and the people looked less welcoming.

"_Oh well, I guess if anything __**really**__ bad happened, I would read it in the paper...ouch_!"

"Hey! Watch where the hell you're going lady!" a burly man with a scar shouted at her. Behind him was a group of about 5 people sitting around a suitcase full of money.

"Huh? Oh man! I'm so sorry!" Lilith finally snapped back to reality. She had walked right into the man.

"Well guess what doll face; you caught me in a really bad mood right now. How are you gonna make it up to me, eh?"

The group behind the man began to laugh.

"Umm...well, how about I just walk away slowly and forget we ever met?" Lilith said nervously.

"Nope, I'm afraid that that's not gonna cut it. I think we should teach you a lesson in respect..." the scarred man said, moving closer and grabbing Lilith's arm.

"Ah! Let me go, creep!" she yelled.

She continued to struggle, but couldn't break away. The thugs just continued to laugh.

"Somebody help!" Lilith screamed, frantically looking for a way out of his grasp.

"Allow me, señorita," a man behind her said. Suddenly, a flying ring came out of an alley and hit the man's hand. He cried out in pain and let go of Lilith.

"Jeez, don't you guys know that if you want to woo a girl, especially a pretty one like this, you have to be gentle? Amateurs," the man laughed as he stepped out of the alleyway. He wore priest's robes, but his shirt was open and exposed his chest. He had long hair with grey streaks in it that resembled the mane of a lion. Even the priest's grin reminded Lilith of a lion that had just caught its prey.

"Go to hell you bastard!" the leader yelled, clutching his bloodied hand.

The priest walked up to Lilith and wrapped his arm around her waist. "You alright? These brutes didn't hurt you did they?"

Lilith was still reeling from the shock of what had just happened. "N-no, I'm o-okay," she finally managed to stutter.

"Great. Now, if you don't mind, could you step back a bit so I can take care of these guys?"

Lilith nodded shakily and stepped behind the odd priest.

"Alright idiots, you're all under arrest under the charges of conspiring against the church. Either come quietly, or I'll take you guys by force," the priest said.

One of the thugs laughed. "What's one old man gonna do? Bring it on, grandpa!"

"Grandpa? Okay, now you've just pissed me off. Force it is!" He began to twirl a chakram on his fingers, one in each hand.

The thugs circled the priest, grabbing whatever weapon they could find near them. One, a man with a lead pipe, took a swing at him. The priest easily ducked to the side and kicked him in the ribs. Two others swung around to the side, but were hit in the legs by chakrams, causing them to tumble to the ground.

The leader ran up to him and swung his fist at his jaw. The priest staggered back as he was hit.

"Damn, that kinda hurt," he said, rubbing his face.

The scarred man grinned, but then cried out in pain when a large rock was thrown at his head, followed by a kick to the gut.

"That's for calling me doll face, you punk," Lilith said, smiling proudly.

The man groaned before finally passing out.

Lilith looked back at the priest. He had already taken out the last of the thugs. She could hear police sirens in the distance.

"It's about time they got here," the priest said. He walked over to Lilith and put his arm around her shoulders. "Nice job there señorita, guess you're not the average nun. What's your name?"

"Its Lilith, and thanks for saving me," she said as she smiled.

"Lilith huh? That's a pretty name you got there. How about I walk you home after I get done with the police?"

"Okay," she said. The police finally arrived at the scene. The priest spoke with the officers and the thugs were quickly put in the squad cars, along with the money found at the scene.

After about 15 minutes of waiting, the man joined the young nun and offered her his arm. "So, where to?"

"The Vatican," Lilith answered, looping her arm through his, "So, why were you here?"

"I was told to tail a gang that was supposed to be contacting some terrorists tonight. But it looks like they already made the exchange by the time I found them."

"I see," she said, "Oh! I never got your name!"

The priest laughed. "Sorry, guess I was a little too busy for formalities. The name's Leon, Father Leon Garcia de Asturias."

"_Hmm...now where have I heard that name before..._" she thought. Suddenly, she remembered and quickly let go of Leon's arm. She began to frantically wipe her hands on her uniform, as if trying to remove dirt from them.

"Huh? What's wrong Lilith?" Leon asked, looking confused.

"You...you're that pervert Dad warned me about!" Lilith shouted.

"Pervert? Don't you think that's a little harsh?" Leon asked, looking a little annoyed.

"No! Dad says you used to hit on all the nuns in the Vatican, including Mom! In fact, you were hitting on **me** this whole time, weren't you!"

"Wait a second..." Leon said, scratching his chin as he came closer. He looked closely at Lilith. "Your last name wouldn't happen to be Nightroad, would it?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Lilith asked defensively.

"Damn, I thought you looked familiar," Leon laughed, "You're Father Four-Eyes' kid aren't you?"

"Hey! Don't call him that!" Lilith shouted, crossing her arms.

"I gotta to say though; you get most of your good looks from Esther. But you've got your dad's eyes, minus the ridiculous glasses," the priest said as he looked at her.

"Man, I'm out of here. See you later Father Pervert," Lilith grumbled as she walked away.

"Hey, it's dangerous for a girl to be walking the streets alone at night! You might run into more thugs! Let me take you home!" Leon called to her.

"I'll take my chances! Mom says a girl could get pregnant just by talking to you!" she yelled back.

Leon watched and scratched his head as the young nun walked away. "There goes another one, damn," Leon sighed, "Guess I've just got rotten luck lately."

When Lilith retuned to her room, she vowed to never think and walk at the same time ever again. The risk of running into perverts was too great.

* * *

A/N: Man, I really suck at fight scenes hehehe. I hope it wasn't too suckish. Heh, I seem to be getting a lot of positive feedback on Helena. I'm glad you guys like her so much. Hehe, she is so much fun to write.

I'd like to thank my newest reviewers Slothspieller and sonia-leong for dropping me a line. I about fell out of my chair when I learned who you guys were! You made my entire weekend!

Slothspieller, your stories are so awesome!! That's Hospitality is one of the funniest things I've ever read. Wait a sec…I forgot to review them!! NOOO!! Well, needless to say, I'm totally honored you gave me a review. I also hate m-preg hehe. It makes no sense!

Sonia-leong, I almost passed out when I saw your Wikipedia page. I couldn't believe the second place winner of RSoM: UK and Ireland had given me a positive review! You're very right, I've always thought I needed to be more descriptive. I s'pose I'm always nervous I'll get too flowery. I'll try harder though, thanks again for the feedback! Next time I'm out and about, I'll pick up RSoM so I can read your manga!


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